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CONTENTS. 


PAGE. 

Chapter  I. 
Early    Baptist    History   of    Connecticut,      -  -  -  -  5 

Chapter  TI. 

Early  Missionary  Movements  Leading  to   its   Organization: 

The  First  Seven  Years  of  its  History,   1823-1829,     -  12 

c 

6  Chapter  HI. 

*^1830-1839,       .........      26 

Chapter  IV. 
1840-1849,   ---------  48 

Chapter  V. 


>!  850-1 859, 


o 


66 


Chapter  VI. 
1860-1869, 82 

Chapter  VII. 
1870-1879,       -        -        -        - 100 

Chapter  VIII. 
1880-1889,   - 123 

Chapter  IX. 
1890-1899,       -        -        -        - 151 

Chapter   X. 
1900-1907.   ---------         183 


APPENDIX. 

A. 
Necrology,        ---------     239 

B. 
Historical   Record,  __--_--         269 

c. 

Table  of  the  Churches  Aided  b}'  the  Convention,     -         -     271 

D. 

Proportion  of  Baptists  to  Population.     -         -         -         -         276 

E. 

Summary   bv    Decades,      -         -         -         -         -         -         -277 


Chapter  I. 

EARLY  BAPTIST  HISTORY  OF 
CONNECTICUT.* 


S  early  as  1674  some  Baptist  preachers  of 
Rhode  Island  had  begun  to  preach  and  im- 
merse their  converts  within  the  borders  of 
Connecticut.  The  towns  of  Groton  and 
Waterford  were  the  scene  of  such  missionary 
work.  Strenuous  opposition  was  made  to  these  move- 
ments by  the  ministers  of  the  "Standing  Order,"  and 
measures  were  taken  to  put  a  stop  to  such  incursions. 

The  basis  of  government  of  the  state  did  not  contain 
a  single  provision  authorizing  the  legislature  to  enact  any 
religious  laws,  or  establish  any  form  of  religion  or  re- 
ligious test;  and  properly  speaking  the  attempt  to  bind 
these  upon  the  colony  was  in  itself  a  usurpation.  It  was 
only  by  a  sort  of  preemption  right,  or  squatter  sovereign- 
ty that  the  Congregationalists  had  established  themselves 
as  the  so-called  "Standing  Order." 

Yet  the  legislature,  by  general  acts  wholly  void  of  con- 
stitutional sanction  had  empowered  the  town  authorities 
to  prescribe  rules  and  regulations  for  public  worship,  and 
for  the  raising  of  parish  rates  for  the  support  of  the 
same.  In  Connecticut  the  right  of  suffrage  was  not  con- 
fined to  church  members,  yet  these  were  so  largely  in  the 
majority  that  they  had  everything  their  own  way.  The 
law  made  the  "Standing  Order"  the  legal  congregation, 


*  Compiled  from  the  Rev.  Isaac  Backus'  "Baptist  History  of  New  England,"   and 
Dr.  Thomas  Armitage's  "History  of  the  Baptists." 


6  HISTORY  OF  THE 

and  subjected  all  persons  who  neglected  attendance  on 
the  Lord's  Day  to  a  fine  of  twenty  shillings.  It  also  in- 
flicted a  heavy  fine  upon  any  person,  not  a  lawful  minis- 
ter, who  should  presume  to  officiate  at  or  administer  any 
sacrament  of  the  church. 

But  repression  and  persecution  failed  to  prevent  the 
spread  of  Baptist  principles.  In  1704  a  few  Baptists  in 
Groton  made  humble  petition  to  the  General  Court  for 
liberty  to  hold  meetings  and  establish  a  church  in  that 
town.  No  notice  seems  to  have  been  taken  of  their  re- 
quest; and  so  the  petitioners,  taking  silence  for  assent, 
proceeded  to  carry  out  their  purpose.  They  invited  Rev. 
Valentine  Wightman,  a  gifted  young  preacher  from 
Rhode  Island,  to  become  their  pastor.  The  little  band 
numbered  less  than  a  score,  but  they  were  a  resolute 
company.  This  the  first  Baptist  church  in  the  state  was 
never  so  severely  persecuted  as  were  many  others  at  a 
later  date.  Mr.  Wightman's  sterling  worth  and  the  en- 
lightened tact  with  which  he  led  his  little  flock  silenced  the 
clamors  of  the  "Standing  Order."  Rev.  John  Owen,  the 
pastor  of  the  Congregational  church  in  Groton,  was  on 
term.s  of  intimate  friendship  with  Mr.  Wightman,  and 
they  labored  together  in  great  brotherly  love  through  a 
long  period  of  revival. 

Mr.  Wightman  was  pastor  for  forty-two  years,  and 
was  succeeded  in  the  pastorate,  for  forty  years,  by  his 
son,  Timothy,  who  also  was  followed  in  the  same  office  by 
his  son,  John  Gano.  In  later  years  the  pastorate  of  this 
historic  church  was  held  by  one  of  the  same  family,  the 
Rev.  Palmer  G.  Wightman.  What  we  have  known  of 
the  two  latest  and  perhaps  last  ministerial  representatives 
of  this  illustrious  family,  the  brothers,  J.  C.  and  P.  G. 
Wightman,  enables  us  to  understand  what  a  worthy  min- 
ister of  Christ  must  have  been  the  first  Baptist  apostle 
of  Connecticut,  the  Rev.  Valentine  Wightman.  Palmer 
G.  Wightman  caused  to  be  erected  in  Upper  Quaker 
Hill  in  the  town  of  Waterford,  the  place  of  his  birth,  a 
monument  of  beautiful  Scotch  granite,  with  this  simple 
!ii=criDtion : 


CONNECTICUT   BAPTIST   CONVENTION         7 

WIGHTMAN 

Edward,  burned  at  stake  in  1612. 

John,  1598-1662. 

George.   1632-1722. 

Rc-c.  Valenline,  1687-1747. 

Rev.   Timothy,   1719-1796. 

Rev.  John  G.,    1766-1841. 

Jesse,  1789-1869. 
Rev.  Palmer  G.,  1820-1907. 
In  the  years  following  tlie  planting  of  the  church  in 
Groton  the  Baptists  made  steady  advance.  They  were 
more  successful  in  establishing  themselves  in  small  vil- 
lages and  country  districts  than  in  the  cities  and  larger 
towns.  Though  they  organized  a  church  in  the  village 
of  Waterford  in  1710,  every  effort  to  build  in  the  city 
of  New  London  was  thwarted  by  one  sharp  practice  or 
another  until  1804.  Yet  between  the  two  dates,  1705 
and  1804  as  many  as  thirty  of  the  one  hundred  and  fifty- 
one  churches  now  on  the  list  of  the  Convention  were 
organized.  This  is  the  more  remarkable  because  these 
were  the  very  years  of  the  greatest  sacrifice  and  suffering 
in  the  cause  of  national  freedom. 

The  Baptists  of  that  time  did  their  full  share  in  secur- 
ing religious  liberty  and  those  rights  of  conscience  which 
the  charter  of  the  colony,  by  silence  or  by  implication, 
had  guaranteed  them.  By  the  hands  of  their  ablest  men 
they  sent  petition  after  petition  to  the  powers  that  were. 
Not  till  1818  were  full  rights  of  conscience  secured  to 
them  and  all  others  by  the  provisions  of  the  new  constitu- 
tion of  the  commonwealth.  The  special  article  providing 
for  this  was  drawn  up  by  Rev.  Asahel  Morse,  pastor  of 
the  First  Baptist  church  of  Suffield. 

In  the  strenuous  years  of  the  war  of  the  Revolution 
the  Baptists  were  not  found  wanting  in  devotion  to  the 
cause  of  Independence.  Indeed,  the  "service  above  meas- 
ure" which  they  rendered  then  and  later  to  the  cause  of 
patriotism  was  a  strong  incentive  to  the  legislature  to 
remove  all  restrictions  and  inhibitions  from  their 
churches. 


8  HISTORY  OF  THE 

The  Great  Awakening,  a  strong  religious  movement 
which  swept  over  New  England  in  the  years  between 
1740  and  1743,  profoundly  affected  the  Baptist  cause  in 
that  part  of  the  country.  Between  the  earliest  settlement 
of  New  England  and  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth 
century  there  had  been  a  great  decline  in  the  religious  life 
of  the  people.  Speaking  of  the  religious  life  of  the  early 
times  in  New  England,  Dr.  George  Leon  Walker  says : 
"The  type  of  religious  life  which  characteristically 
marked  that  opening  period  of  New  England  history  was 
eminent  for  the  strenuous  severity  of  its  doctrinal  concep- 
tions; for  Its  profound  and  humiliating  views  of  human 
sinfulness  and  danger;  for  its  searching  introspectiveness 
into  the  criteria  of  personal  religious  experience;  for  its 
absolute  repudiation  of  all  dependence  on  outward  forms 
as  a  ground  of  saving  hope ;  for  its  reverence  for  the 
least  and  obscurest  phase  of  Scripture;  and,  in  general, 
for  its  Intensity  and  seriousness,  passing  over  sometimes 
Into  austerity  and  superstition."*  This  early  or  Puritan 
period  covered  approximately  the  years  from  1620  to 
1660. 

Following  this  Puritan  period,  Including  the  years 
from  1660  to  173 5,  there  was  a  marked  falling  off  In  the 
religious  life  of  New  England.  Various  causes  con- 
tributed to  this  result.  One  was  a  decline  in  the  power 
of  leadership  exercised  by  the  pulpit.  The  preachers  of 
the  earliest  days  were,  almost  without  exception,  men 
of  university  training.  Some  of  them  had  gained  dis- 
tinction In  England  before  coming  to  America.  But  these 
men  passed  away;  and,  though  they  had  tried  to  provide 
for  an  educated  ministry  for  the  churches  by  organizing 
schools,  there  was  in  general  a  decline  In  the  power  of 
the  pulpit.  Undoubtedly  political  causes  contributed  to 
the  religious  declension.  These  were  the  years  during 
which  England's  unjust  treatment  of  the  colonies  alien- 
ated them  from  her.  The  thoughts  of  the  people  were 
to  a  degree  diverted  from  religious  Interests  by  the  In- 
tensity   of    their     feeling    In     regard    to    the    various 

*  Some  aspects  of  tlie  Religious  Life  of  New  England,  p.  43. 


CONNECTICUT   BAPTIST   CONVENTION         9 

forms  which  the  Injustice  of  the  mother  country 
assumed.  A  spirit  of  land  speculation  also  was  rife 
throughout  this  period.  It  was  during  this  time  that  by 
far  the  greater  number  of  the  towns  of  New  England 
were  surveyed  and  organized.  The  pressure  of  the  hard- 
ships attending  life  in  a  new  land  helped  to  depress  the 
intelligence  as  well  as  the  religious  life  of  the  people.  It 
was  impossible  to  maintain  efficient  schools  for  all;  it 
was  often  impossible  for  children  to  attend  school  more 
than  a  few  weeks  in  a  year.  Thus  the  level  of  intelligence 
was  lowered,  anci  the  religious  character  of  the  people 
suffered  in  this  decline.  But  chief  of  the  causes  that  led 
to  the  unspirituality  of  the  New  England  people  during 
this  period  was  the  so-called  "Half-Way  Covenant." 
This  was  a  device,  adopted  quite  generally  by  the  Con- 
gregational churches  of  New  England,  by  which  many 
unconverted  persons,  children  of  believers,  were  received 
to  a  certain  limited  membership  in  the  churches.  Its 
effect  was  to  quiet  the  conscience  with  something  less  than 
conversion,  and  to  fill  the  churches  with  those  who  knew 
nothing  by  experience  of  regeneration. 

As  a  result  of  such  causes  the  religious  life  of  New 
England  declined  greatly;  so  much  so  as  to  justify  the 
finding  of  the  "Reforming  Synod,"  summoned  by  the 
General  Court  of  Massachusetts,  which  pointed  out  in 
minute  specification  as  among  the  evils  of  the  time, 
neglect  of  divine  worship,  disregard  of  sacramental  ob- 
servances, pride,  profanity.  Sabbath-breaking,  family  law- 
lessness and  irreligion,  intemperance,  licentiousness,  covet- 
ousness.  and  untruthfulness. 

But  in  1740,  under  the  preaching  of  Geo.  Whitefield, 
a  wonderful  revival  of  religion  started  in  the  southern 
part  of  New  England.  Beginning  at  Newport,  R.  I.,  in 
September,  1740,  Whitefield  preached  successively  in 
Bristol,  R.  I.,  Boston,  Salem,  Ipswich,  Marblehead, 
Portsmouth  and  York.  Turning  westward  he  went 
through  Sudbury,  Worcester,  Brookfield,  Hadley  and 
Northampton.  Going  southward  from  this  point  he  went 
through   Springfield,    Windsor,   Hartford,   Wethersfield, 


10  HISTORY  OF  THE 

Middletown  and  Wallingford,  to  New  Haven;  thence 
on  westward  through  Milford,  Stratfield,  Fairfield,  Stam- 
ford and  Rye,  to  New  York.  In  all  these  places  he  ad- 
dressed vast  crowds,  who  were  wonderfully  moved  by 
his  appeals. 

One  noteworthy  result  of  the  Great  Awakening  was 
the  desire  to  which  it  gave  rise  in  the  minds  of  many 
Christians  to  limit  church  membership  to  converted  per- 
sons. These  awakened  members  agitated  with  this  object 
in  view,  but  being  usually  only  a  minority  in  their  churches 
they  could  not  bring  it  to  pass.  In  many  instances  there- 
fore they  separated  from  their  churches  and  organized 
congregations  of  their  own.  To  these  the  name  of 
"Separatist"  was  given.  Many  such  congregations  came 
into  existence  in  Connecticut — more  than  thirty  in  all — 
the  best  known  of  which  were  at  New  London,  Norwich, 
Preston,  Plainfield,  Lyme,  Middletown,  Windsor  and 
Suffield.  They  endured  much  persecution,  being  often 
subject  to  distraint  of  their  property,  and  sometimes  to 
imprisonment  of  their  persons,  for  their  failure  to  pay 
legal  dues  to  the  churches  from  which  they  had  seceded. 
As  a  result  of  the  unfair  pressure  of  law  upon  them,  as 
well  as  of  internal  dissensions  into  which  they  fell,  most 
of  these  Separatist  congregations  ceased  to  exist  within  a 
score  of  years  from  the  time  when  they  were  formed. 
They  were  either  reabsorbed  by  the  churches  from  which 
they  had  come  out,  or  else  became  Baptists.  Sometimes 
whole  congregations  of  them,  with  their  ministers,  went 
over  bodily  to  the  Baptists,  as  was  the  case  with  the  Third 
Middletown  or  Wethersfield  church;  and  practically  the 
same  thing  took  place  in  Suffield,  where  Joseph  Hastings, 
leader  and  minister  of  the  Separatists,  having  been  im- 
mersed in  1752  while  still  minister  of  the  Separatists, 
brought  about  the  organization  of  the  First  Baptist 
church  in  1769  with  the  aid  of  his  Separatist  associates. 
It  will  thus  be  seen  that  the  Great  Awakening  affected 
profoundly  the  situation  of  the  Baptists  of  the  state. 

In  the  spring  of  1798  a  great  revival  began  in  the 
church  in  Mansfield,  and  soon  extended  into  all  parts  of 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION        1 1 

the  state  and  into  regions  beyond.  In  many  instances 
Congregational  and  Baptist  churches  worked  together  in 
loving  harmony.  By  this  time  the  spirit  of  persecution 
had  largely  passed  away.  Baptists  had  won  recognition 
as  among  the  forces  that  work  for  righteousness. 

We  find  that  in  the  year  1700  there  were  but  nine  Bap- 
tist churches  in  New  England,  and  only  fourteen  in  the 
whole  country.  In  the  year  1800  there  were  twelve 
thousand  Baptist  churches  in  the  United  States,  with  one 
hundred  thousand  members ;  and  the  greater  part  of  this 
increase  had  been  gained  in  the  forty  years  just  preceding. 
It  is  not  possible  to  state  accurately  the  number  of  Bap- 
tists in  Connecticut  in  1800.  The  estimate  usually  given 
is  sixty  churches,  forty  ministers,  and  four  thousand  mem- 
bers. 

The  Stonington  Association  was  formed  in  1772,  the 
Groton  Conference  in  1785.  This  latter  body  was  com- 
posed partly  of  open  communion  churches.  In  a  few 
years  it  was  dissolv^ed,  and  the  regular  Baptist  churches 
in  it  united  with  the  older  association,  the  whole  taking 
the  name  of  Stonington  Union  Association.  The  Hart- 
ford Association  was  formed  in  1789,  the  Danbury  in 
1790,  the  New  London  in  1817,  the  Ashford  in  1824, 
the  New  Haven  in  1825,  and  the  Fairfield  in  1837. 


12  HISTORY  OF  THE 


Chapter  II. 

THE  CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION.* 

Early   Missionary    Movements    Leading    to    its    Organ- 
ization:   The  First  Seven  Years  of  its 
History,    182^-1 8  2g. 

As  early  as  1784  in  the  Stonington  Association,  and  in 
1790  in  the  Danbury  Association,  we  find  the  brethren  ar- 
ranging with  much  pains  for  the  supply  of  destitute 
churches.  They  soon  saw,  however,  how  inadequate 
these  chance  arrangements  must  be,  and  that  they  really 
needed  one  or  more  missionaries  especially  appointed  to 
the  work.  In  1806  the  Danbury  Association  made  an 
appeal  to  the  churches  to  contribute  for  the  support  of 
such  a  miissionary;  and  for  the  space  of  twenty  years 
this  and  other  associations  in  a  somewhat  desultory  and 
intermittent  way,  but  still  in  a  spirit  of  true  and  earnest 
service,  carried  on  the  work  of  aiding  the  weaker 
churches  and  of  preaching  the  Gospel  in  destitute  fields. 

The  Connecticut  Society  Auxiliary  to  the  Baptist  Board 
of  Foreign  Missions. 

This  societ}'  was  organized  in  the  meeting  house  of  the 
First  Baptist  church  of  Hartford,  August  31,  1814.  Rev. 
Elisha  Cushman  had  previously  issued  a  circular  letter  to 
all  the  Baptist  churches  in  the  state,  inviting  them  to 
a  conference  for  the  purpose  of  perfecting  some  plan  of 
cooperation  in  mission  work  at  home  and  abroad.  It  is 
not  known  how  many  churches  responded  to  the  call,  but 
a  goodly  number  were  represented.      Missions  were  in 

*  Gathered  from  the  historical  sketch  presented  in  June   1864,   by    Rev.    J.     A. 
Bailey,  and  from  the  paper  presented  by  William  H.  Potter,  in  October,  1873, 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION         13 

the  air.  Rev.  Luther  Rice,  a  fellow-laborer  of  Adoniram 
judson,  had  been  visiting  the  churches  in  the  state  to 
interest  them  in  the  great  work  of  foreign  missions.  By 
arrangement  he  was  present  at  the  birth  of  this  society 
and  gives  an  account  of  it  in  his  report.     He  says: 

"Arriving  at  Hartford,  Conn.,  late  in  July,  1814,  it 
afforded  me  great  pleasure  to  find  the  way  prepared  for 
the  adoption  of  measures  immediately  to  bring  about  the 
formation  of  a  missionary  society  in  that  quarter.  I  re- 
turned to  Hartford  to  be  present  and  assist  in  the  forma- 
tion of  such  a  society  on  August  31.  No  instance  of  this 
nature  has  imparted  to  me  greater  satisfaction  than  the 
manner  in  which  our  brethren  here  have  taken  hold  of 
the  missionary  business.  At  the  very  threshold  a  circum- 
stance occurred  which  I  cannot  without  violence  to  my 
feelings  abstain  from  gratefully  announcing.  The  society 
received  by  letter  assurance  of  one  hundred  dollars  a  year 
from  an  individual,  for  at  least  four  years.  It  was  re- 
quested that  the  name  should  not  be  mentioned  in  the 
proceedings,  except  as  that  of  a  friend  of  missions." 

In  the  formal  constitution  which  was  adopted  at  this 
time  the  great  object  of  the  society  was  defined  to  be  "to 
aid  the  Baptist  Board  of  Foreign  Missions."  The  mem- 
bership was  to  consist  of  those  who  subscribed  to  the 
constitution  and  paid  into  the  treasury  one  dollar  a  year 
or  more.  The  management  of  its  concerns  was  to  be 
"vested  in  a  Board  of  Trustees,  consisting  of  a  President, 
two  Vice-Presidents,  a  Corresponding  Secretary,  a  Re- 
cording Secretary,  a  Treasurer,  and  three  Trustees,  all 
to  be  chosen  annually  by  ballot."  Article  XIII  of  the 
constitution  reads:  "Whereas  it  is  the  purpose  of  this 
society  to  become  a  component  member  of  the  General 
Missionary  Convention  of  the  Baptist  Denomination  of 
the  United  States  for  Foreign  Missions,  a  regular  trans- 
mission shall  be  made  of  the  funds  of  this  society,  on  or 
before  the  first  of  May  annually,  to  the  Treasurer  of 
the  Baptist  Board  of  Foreign  Missions,  and  delegates 
shall  be  regularly  and  duly  appointed  by  this  society  to 
attend  the  said  Convention." 


14  HISTORY  OF  THE 

The  Board  of  Trustees  appointed  the  first  year  was  as 
follows:  Rev.  Daniel  Wildman,  President;  Revs.  Rufus 
Babcock  and  Asahel  Morse,  Vice-Presidents;  Rev.  Elisha 
Cushman,  Corresponding  Secretary;  Brother  Gurdon 
Robins,  Recording  Secretary;  Brother  Ebenezer  Moore, 
Treasurer;  Revs.  Jonathan  Goodwin,  Caleb  Moore  and 
John  Phippen,  Trustees.  In  the  paper  from  which  we 
quote  there  is  a  record  of  all  the  meetings  of  this  society 
for  the  nine  years  of  its  existence.  It  was  not  in  any  sense 
a  delegated  or  representative  body,  but  a  voluntary  meet- 
ing of  the  contributors  to  the  object  for  the  furtherance 
of  which  it  had  been  formed.  It  was  not  a  chartered 
society,  and  had  few  elements  of  permanence.  It  does 
not  seem  to  have  much  enlarged  its  constituency,  but  it  did 
prepare  the  way  for,  and  prove  the  need  of,  a  better 
organized  and  more  efficient  body,  that  should  be  fully 
representative  of  the  churches. 

Although  the  only  object  of  this  society,  as  mentioned 
in  its  constitution,  was  the  promotion  of  the  work  of 
Foreign  Missions,  it  soon  undertook  to  aid  in  enlarging 
and  strengthening  the  work  at  home.  A  meeting  of  the 
Board  of  Trustees  was  held  in  East  Hartford,  February 
5,  1817,  at  which  James  Davis  reported  eleven  weeks  of 
missionary  service  on  the  home  field,  for  which  sixty  dol- 
lars was  voted  to  him,  with  the  request  that  he  continue 
his  labors.  He  remained  in  the  employment  of  the  so- 
ciety for  three  years,  though  there  was  no  constitutional 
provision  for  his  support. 

The  seventh  annual  meeting,  which  was  held  in  Hart- 
ford, November  7,  1821,  was  made  memorable  for  Con- 
necticut Baptists  by  the  efforts  that  were  made  to  start 
the  Christian  Secretary.  It  was  resolved:  "That  it 
is  expedient  for  this  society,  provided  sufficient  encourage- 
ment be  given,  to  issue  a  weekly  religious  newspaper." 
This  initial  movement  was  followed  by  the  publication 
of  the  Christian  Secretary,  which  for  so  many  years, 
with  varying  fortunes  to  Its  proprietors,  rendered  such  in- 
valuable service.  It  Is  difficult  to  imagine  how  the  work 
of  the  Convention,   either  in  its  earlier  or  later  years, 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION         15 

could  have  been  accomplished  without  the  aid  of  this 
paper  in  keeping  the  needs  of  the  field  constantly  before 
the  churches. 

The  final  meeting  of  the  society  was  held  in  the  town 
of  Mansfield,  November  5,  1823,  where  it  was  dissolved 
by  the  action  of  its  members.  The  following  is  the  last 
entry  in  its  minutes :  "Whereas,  in  our  opinion,  the  busi- 
ness of  missions  may  be  better  conducted  by  a  convention 
of  churches  than  by  a  society  of  individuals;  and,  where- 
as, such  a  Convention  Is  now  in  operation  in  this  state, 
therefore  resolved  that  this  society  be  from  this  time  dis- 
solved." It  had  accomplished  much  good  in  the  nine 
years  of  its  life.  Organized  especially  for  the  advance- 
ment of  the  cause  of  Foreign  Missions,  it  had  been  faith- 
ful to  this  interest.  How  much  money  had  been  con- 
tributed it  is  not  possible  to  state,  but  there  is  a  record  of 
at  least  fifteen  hundred  dollars.  It  had  done  much  to 
stimulate  a  missionary  spirit  in  the  churches.  There  is 
frequent  reference  in  its  minutes  to  reports  sent  by  wom- 
en's ''Mite  Societies,"  and  generous  praise  is  bestowed 
upon  them.  In  addition  it  had  taken  up  and  prosecuted 
vigorously  what  we  have  come  to  call  "State  Missions" — 
the  helping  of  feeble  churches,  the  establishment  of  new 
churches,  and  the  evangelization  of  destitute  regions. 
The  transition  from  its  organization  to  that  of  the  Con- 
vention proper  was  natural  and  easy. 

The   Connecticut  Baptist   Convention,    iSz^-iSzg."^' 

At  the  annual  meeting  of  the  Hartford  Association, 
October  2,  1822,  Rev.  Augustus  Bolles,  pastor  of  the 
Wintonbury  church  (afterwards  known  as  First  Wind- 
sor, and  still  later  as  the  Bloomfield  church),  moved  that 
a  committee  be  appointed  "to  consider  the  expediency  ol 
forming  a  Convention  of  the  Baptist  churches  of  the 
state."  The  committee  was  appointed  and  brought  in  a 
favorable  report,     l^hereupon  Rev.  E.  Cushman,  pastor 

*  This  story  is  essentially  that  gathered  from  the  files  of  The  "Christian  Secretary"  by 
William  H.  Potter  in  1873. 


16  HISTORY  OF  THE 

of  the  First  church,  Hartford,  and  Rev.  Jonathan  Good- 
win, pastor  of  the  Mansfield  church,  were  appointed  a 
committee  to  communicate  with  the  churches  and  request 
each  church  to  send  a  delegate  to  meet  at  the  First  Suffield 
church  on  the  first  Wednesday  in  November,  1822,  for 
the  purpose  of  devising  a  plan  and  constitution  for  such 
a  Convention, 

Accordingly  Elders  Goodwin  and  Cushman  issued  a 
notice  and  invitation.  At  the  time  and  place  appointed  a 
meeting  of  sundry  delegates  took  place,  and  the  plan  of 
constitution  was  drawn  up,  which  was  ordered  to  be 
printed  and  submitted  to  the  several  churches.  An  ad- 
dress upon  the  subject  was  also  drawn  up,  and  the  body 
adjourned  to  meet  in  Hartford  on  the  last  Wednesday 
of  October,  1823. 

1823.  On  the  29th  day  of  October,  1823,  according  to 
appointment,  a  delegation  from  thirty  churches 
met  at  the  Baptist  meeting-house  in  Hartford,  and  pro- 
ceeded to  arrange  and  adopt  articles  of  a  constitution  by 
which  to  organize  a  Convention  and  regulate  Its  future 
proceedings.  "This  was  executed  with  much  harmony, 
after  which  the  Convention  proceeded  to  business  con- 
nected with  Its  Immediate  objects,  of  which  the  following 
are  the  records : 

"At  10  a.  m.  a  sermon  was  preached  by  Rev.  Asa  Wil- 
cox from  1  Cor.  1 :26.  After  which  proceeded  to  or- 
ganize the  Convention.  Chose  Bro.  Asa  Wilcox,  pastor 
of  Second  Saybrook  church,  as  Moderator,  and  Bro. 
Isaac  Merriam,  pastor  of  Bristol  church,  as  Clerk.  The 
delegates  from  the  churches  presented  their  credentials, 
from  which  It  appeared  that  the  following  churches  were 
represented  by  their  delegates: 

Churches.  Delegates. 

Hartford,  Elder  Elisha  Cushman 

Berlin,  "      Enoch  Green,  Bro.  John 

Osgood 
Bristol,  "       Isaac  Merriam 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION         17 


Churches. 
Canton, 
Enfield, 

First  Suffield, 
Wethersfield, 

\Vintonbury, 

New  Haven, 

New  London, 

First  North  Stonington, 

Preston, 

Waterford,  . 

Stratford,, 

Second   Danbury, 

Newton, 

First  North  ford, 
Hampton, 
Lebanon, 
Mansfield, 
Litchfield, 
Colcbrook, 
Second  Colebrook, 
First  Middletown, 
Second  Middletown, 
Haddam, 
Second  Saybrook, 
First  Woodstock, 
Second  Woodstock, 


Delegates. 
Elder  Stephen  S.  Nelson 

"      Jeremiah  F.  Bridge,  Dea- 
con S.  Terry 
"      Asahel  Morse 

Wm.     Bentley,     Brother 
Robert   Francis 
"      Augustus  Bolles,  Brother 

C.  L.  Collins 
"      Benjamin  M.  Hill 
"      Ebenezer  Loomis 
"      Jonathan  Miner 
"      Levi  Meech 

Francis  Darrow 
Daniel    Wildman,     Bro. 
John  Turner 
Dea.  T.  Wildman,  Bro.  Silas 

Ambler 
Bro.  David  Bennett 
Elder  Ezekiel   Skinner 

Dea.  Gurdon   Robinson 
Elder  Ezek   Brown 

Jonathan  Miner 
Dea.  Levi  Morse,  Jr. 
Elder  Rufus  Babcock 
"      Erastus  Doty 
"      James  Boswell 
Fred  Wightman 
Simon  Shailer 
"      Asa  Wilcox 

John  Wilcox  Nichols 
Dea.  W.  H.  Manning 


"Li  all  thirty  churches  and  thirty-eight  delegates. 

"Visiting  brethren  invited  to  a  seat. 

"Appointed  Brother  Elisha  Cushman  to  receive  what 
moneys  any  person  may  now  wish  to  present  to  our  funds. 

"Read  the  constitution  reported  and  recommended  by 
the  former  meeting  at  Suffield,  and  referred  it,  together 


18  HISTORY  OF  THE 

with  proposed  amendments,  to  a  committee  composed  of 
Elders  J.  Goodwin,  S.  S.  Nelson  and  A.  BoUes,  to  report 
this  afternoon. 

"Adjourned  at  2  p.  m. 

^'October  jo. 

"Met  at  9  a.  m.  Prayer  Avas  offered  by  Brother 
Brockett.  Heard  report  of  committee  to  prepare  and 
arrange  business  for  the  Convention.  Resumed  the  dis- 
cussion of  the  constitution,  by  articles,  and  continued  it 
until  they  were  severally  adopted,  when  the  whole  was 
committed  to  Brother  Bolles  to  be  engrossed  for  a  final 
reading.  Brother  Nichols  prayed,  and  the  Convention 
adjourned  till  afternoon. 

"Met  at  1.30  p.  m.  Brother  Enoch  Green  prayed. 
The  constitution  being  engrossed  and  presented  came 
again  under  consideration,  when  under  motion  of  Brother 
Bolles,  the  fifth  article  was  expunged  and,  thus  amended, 
the  constitution  was  adopted.  The  Convention  proceeded 
to  the  business  connected  with  its  objects,  and  the  follow- 
ing resolves  were  passed : 

^^Resohed,  That  the  churches  of  this  state  and  vicinity, 
not  supplied  with  the  constant  ministration  of  the  Gospel, 
be  requested  to  make  an  annual  statement  of  their  condi- 
tion to  this  Convention,  including  the  portion  of  the  time 
during  which  they  are  supplied  with  the  preaching  of  the 
Gospel,  and  a  fair  representation  of  their  means  of  sup- 
porting preaching. 

"Resolved,  That  we  earnestly  recommend  to  the 
churches  to  assemble  on  the  first  day  of  each  month  to 
pray  for  the  divine  blessing  on  missionary  exertions; 
and  that  at  each  of  these  meetings  contributions  be  made 
to  aid  the  missionary  cause. 

"Resolved,  That  brethren  who  labor  in  the  ministry, 
under  the  patronage  of  the  Convention,  be  authorized 
and  requested  to  solicit  and  receive  subscriptions,  do- 
nations and  legacies  to  aid  the  general  fund,  and  to  trans- 
mit the  same  to  the  treasurer  of  the  Convention. 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION         19 

"Resolved,  That  we  earnestly  recommend  to  the 
churches  to  set  apart  the  Fourth  of  July  annually  for  pub- 
lic thanksgi\nng  for  national  prosperit}^  and  independ- 
ence ;  and  also  that  public  contributions  be  made  on  that 
day  for  the  civilization  and  religious  instruction  of  the 
aborigines  of  our  country. 

"JFherecis,  This  convention  learns  that  the  Connecti- 
cut Baptist  Missionary  Society  has  it  in  contemplation  to 
relinquish  their  concerns  to  the  Convention,  therefore, 

"Resolved,  That  this  Convention  readily  assumes  any 
concerns  which  have  heretofore  occupied  that  society, 
should  it  be  their  pleasure  so  to  relinquish  them;  and  the 
Board  of  Managers  to  be  hereafter  appointed  are  here- 
by authorized  to  assume  any  such  concerns  which  have 
heretofore  occupied  that  society,  whenever  it  shall  pass 
resolutions  to  that  effect. 

"Resolved,  That  the  annual  meetings  of  this  Con- 
vention be  opened  bv  reading  a  portion  of  Scripture  and 
by  prayer. 

"Proceeded  to  choose  a  Board  of  Managers,  and  the 
following  persons  were  duly  elected,  viz. :  Rev.  Asa  AVil- 
cox.  President;  Rev.  Jonathan  Goodwin,  Vice-President; 
Rev.  Augustus  Bolles,  Secretary;  Deacon  Joseph  B.  Gil- 
bert, Treasurer;  Revs.  Elisha  Cushman,  Roswell  Bur- 
rows and  Oliver  Wilson,  and  Brethren  Robert  Francis 
and  John  Turney,  Trustees. 

"Resolved,  That  the  Board  of  Managers  be  a  commit- 
tee to  prepare  a  memorial  and  petition,  and  present  the 
same  to  the  legislature  of  the  state,  representing  the 
object  and  plan  of  the  Convention,  and  praying  for  an 
act  of  incorporatmn  to  enable  us  to  hold  and  appropriate 
the  funds  committed  to  our  management. 

"Resolved,  That  all  moneys  not  specifically  designated 
should  be  at  the  disposal  of  the  Board. 

"Agreed  to  hold  next  annual  meeting  at  the  Baptist 
meeting-house  in  the  city  of  Middletown,  on  the  second 
V/ednesday  of  June.  1824,  at  9  a.  m. 

"Resolved,  That  the  Secretary  of  the  Convention  pre- 
pare  and  publish  the  doings  of  this  Convention   in  the 


20  HISTORY  OF  THE 

Christian  Secretary,  and  send  one  copy  to  each  Baptist 
church  in  this  state  and  vicinity. 
"(Signed.) 

Asa  Wilcox,  Moderator. 

A.  BoLLES,  Secretary." 
Isaac  Merriam,  Clerk. 

The  first  business  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Managers 
was  held  in  Mansfield,  November  5,  1823.  There  were 
present  Rev.  J.  Goodwin,  Vice-President;  Revs.  A.  BoUes, 
E.  Cushman  and  O.  Wilson,  and  Brethren  J.  B.  Gil- 
bert and  J.  Turney.  The  Treasurer  was  requested  to 
give  a  bond  for  $1,000  for  the  security  of  the  fund.  Rev. 
William  Bentley  was  appointed  State  Missionary,  and 
Rev.  Brethren  J.  Goodwin  and  O.  Wilson  were  requested 
to  enter  the  serv^ice  of  the  Convention,  the  churches  at 
Mansfield  and  North  Haven  being  asked  to  release  them 
for  that  object.  An  appropriation  of  fifty  dollars  was 
made  to  the  New  Haven  church,  and  sent  by  the  hand  of 
Deacon  William  Quiner.  The  Christian  Secretary  was 
adopted,  and  taken  under  the  patronage  of  the  Board  for 
one  year.  Brethren  Gurdon  Robins,  Jeremiah  Brown 
and  Jesse  Savage  were  appointed  a  committee  of  man- 
agement on  the  Christian  Secretary,  with  discretionary 
power  to  employ  an  editor  and  an  agent  to  extend  the 
circulation.  A  few  copies  of  the  paper  containing  the 
doings  of  the  first  session  were  distributed  gratuitously. 
The  Board  then  adjourned  to  meet  in  Hartford  in  Febru- 
ary, 1824. 

Feb.  4,  1824.  The  Board  of  Managers  met  in  Hart- 
ford according  to  appointment.  There  were  present 
Rev.  Asa  Wilcox,  President;  Rev.  Augustus  BoUes,  Secre- 
tary; Brother  Joseph  B.  Gilbert,  Treasurer,  and  also 
Rev.  Elisha  Cushman  and  Brother  Robert  Francis.  The 
record  speaks  of  remittances  from  female  Mite  Societies, 
and  of  urgent  calls  from  feeble  churches  for  aid.  The 
reports  of  work  done  by  the  State  Missionaries,  Bentley, 
Goodwin  and  Wilson,  were  characterized  as  deeply  in- 
teresting and  satisfactory  to  the  Board.     Six  dollars  a 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION        21 

week  and  traveling  expenses  were  voted  to  the  mission- 
aries as  compensation.  The  Rev.  Asa  Wilcox  was  also 
urged  to  act  as  missionary,  and  a  letter  was  written  to  his 
people  requesting  their  consent.  The  question  of  in- 
corporation was  put  into  the  hands  of  Revs.  Asa  Wilcox, 
A.  Bolles  and  O.  Wilson. 

March  2,  1824.  A  special  meeting  of  the  Board  of 
Managers  was  held  in  Hartford  to  consider  the  crisis  in 
the  existence  of  the  Christian  Secretary.  The  committee 
into  whose  charge  the  paper  had  been  put  had  resigned. 
The  question  was  raised,  "Shall  the  Board  now  discon- 
tinue the  Christian  Secretary?"  but  the  Board  answered 
unanimously  in  the  negative,  and  appointed  Gurdon 
Robins  as  general  agent  and  editor  till  the  annual  meet- 
ing in  June,  with  a  salary  of  $200  from  December  12. 
Philemon  Canfield  was  appointed  printer,  and  allowed 
$900  from  February  to  June. 


1  824.     The  first  anniversary  of  the  Convention  was  held 
in  MIddletown,  June   9,   1824.     At  this  session 
fourteen  churches  were  admitted,  as  follows: 

Churches.  Delegates. 

Pomfret,  Rev.  James  Grow 

East  Windsor,  Deacon   S.  Terry 

Second  Suffield,  Rev.  Tubal  Wakefield 

Woodbridge  and  Salem,  Deacon   Nathan   Piatt 

Second  Middletown,  Gershom  Birdsey,   Ephraim  Higby 

Second  Colchester,  Alvan  Ackley,  John   Bigelow 

WalHngford,  Rev.  Sedgwick  Rice,  Deacon  L.  Miller 

First  Lj'me,  Rev.     Nathan     Wildman,     Abraham 

Beckwith 

Second  Windsor,  Elias  Clark,  Lemuel  Welch 

Second  Lyme,  Baruch   Beckwith 

Tolland,  Deacon  Aaron  Chapman 

Salem,  Deacon  Eliphalet  Hillard,  A.  Rogers 

Second  Groton,  Rev.  Roswell  Burrows 
New  Hartford  and  Har- 

winton,  David  Frost 


22  HISTORY  OF  THE 

Of  the  thirty  churches  that  reported  last  year  twenty- 
six  reported  also  this  year,  making  a  total  of  forty 
churches  present  by  their  delegates  in  this  Convention. 

The  Board  of  Managers  chosen  for  this  year  consisted 
of  Rev.  i\sa  Wilcox,  President;  Rev.  Jonathan  Goodwin, 
Vice-President;  Brother  Albert  Day,  Secretary;  Deacon 
Joseph  P.  Gilbert,  Treasurer;  Rev.  Elisha  Cushman, 
Rev.  Roswell  Burrows,  Rev.  John  Turney,  Rev.  Fred- 
erick Wightman,  Rev.  Simon  Shailer,  and  Brother  Seldon 
Miner,  Trustees. 

The  Convention  passed  resolutions  pledging  their  sup- 
port to  the  Chrhlian  Secretary^  also  commending  the 
bookstore  of  Hezekiah  Huntington  of  Hartford,  because 
he  had  "agreed  to  keep  the  denominational  works."  They 
also  recommended  uniformity  in  hymn  books,  and  urged 
the  adoption  of  "Winchell's  Watts."  They  recorded 
their  belief  in  and  reliance  on  the  Holy  Spirit  for  the 
effectual  promotion  of  the  cause  of  Christ,  and  recom- 
mended that  on  the  first  Monday  of  each  month  special 
prayer  should  be  offered  in  all  churches  for  revivals  and 
missionary   success. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Managers  immediately 
following  the  session  of  the  Convention,  full  power  was 
given  to  Brethren  Cushman,  Wightman  and  Gilbert  to 
contract  for  the  printing  of  the  Christian  Secretary,  at  a 
price  not  to  exceed  $725,  and  to  employ  an  editor.  The 
compensation  of  the  State  Missionaries  was  reduced  to 
fiv-e  dollars  a  week  and  expenses,  and  the  whole  matter  of 
their  employment  and  pay  was  given  in  charge  to  the 
committee  above  named.  Elder  Wilson  was  requested  to 
itinerate  in  Westfield  and  other  places,  and  Enoch  Green 
was  to  visit  Buckley  Hill  (Colchester),  Salem  and  Ches- 
tersfield.  Elder  Wm.  Bentley  was  requested  to  continue 
his  itinerant  labors  particularly  in  Westfield,  Wind- 
sor, Andover  and  Chesterfield,  while  Brother  Green  was 
to  visit  Southington,  New  Hartford,  Burlington  and 
Granbv. 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION        23 

1825.  The  second  anniversary  of  the  Convention  was 
held  in  Hartford  in  June.     Three  new  churches, 

represented  by  their  delegates,  were  received,  namely: 
Chesterfield,  represented  by  Rev.  Oliver  Wilson;  Lisbon, 
by  Brother  Amos  Read,  and  East  Haddam  by  Brethren 
Oliver  Atwood  and  William  Carter.  By  this  time  forty- 
seven  churches  were  connected  with  the  Convention,  thir- 
ty-three of  which  were  represented  by  their  delegates  at 
this  session. 

A  good  deal  of  time  was  consumed  in  determining 
the  status  of  the  Christian  Secretary  in  relation  to  the 
Convention.  The  subject  of  providing  religious  tracts 
for  circulation  demanded  a  good  deal  of  attention.  The 
constitution  was  amended,  and  the  representation  was 
enlarged  to  allow  delegates  from  "any  other  association 
of  individuals  conforming  to  the  constitution  and  con- 
tributing five  dollars  a  year  to  its  funds."  By-laws  were 
now  for  the  first  time  introduced,  and  Sunday-schools 
were  heartily  commended. 

1826.  The   annual  meeting  was  held  with  the  church 
In  Wallingford,  and  two  new  churches,  Andover 

and  First  Saybrook,  were  admitted,  making  forty-nine 
churches  affiliated  with  the  Conv^ention.  Only  twenty-six 
of  these  were  represented  by  their  delegates  at  this  ses- 
sion. Rev.  John  M.  Peck,  a  name  dear  to  all  Baptists 
in  the  early  history  of  our  denomination,  was  present 
and  gave  a  new  Impulse  to  the  cause  of  missions.  Rev. 
Russell  Jennings,  Tubal  Wakefield,  A.  W.  Whitney, 
Isaac  Dwinnell,  Simon  Shailer  and  William  Whitnev 
gave  Interesting  accounts  of  local  missionary  work.  All 
these,  with  other  brethren,  were  more  or  less  in  the  em- 
ploy of  the  Convention  and  under  the  direction  of  the 
Board. 

1827.  At  the  June  session  of  the  Convention  In   1827 
five  new  churches  were  admitted  by  their  dele- 
gates, viz. :  Manchester  and  Vernon,  Colton  Wilcox  and 
Irenus  Brown:  Southlngton.  I.  Atkins  and  A.  Merriam; 


24  HISTORY  OF  THE 

Ameiiia,  N.  Y.,  Calvin  Phileo;  Cornwall  and  Sharon, 
Silas  Ambler.  It  was  a  period  of  tracts  and  tract  so- 
cieties, and  every  session  was  full  of  good  words  and 
resolutions  in  their  favor.  There  was  also  manifest  a 
deepening  interest  in  Home  and  Foreign  Missions. 

At  the  Board  meeting  following  the  Convention  four 
hundred  dollars  were  appropriated  to  Rev.  G.  Robins 
as  editor  of  the  Christian  Secretary.  Rev.  Seth  Ewer  was 
appointed  as  agent  of  the  Board  at  a  salary  of  $400. 
Four  missionaries  were  reported  as  having  served  the 
Board  this  year  at  a  salary  of  five  dollars  a  week  and 
expenses.  Where  the  money  came  from  for  this  outlay 
is  not  apparent,  as  the  Treasurer  reported  total  receipts 
of  only  $495. 

The  brethren  of  the  Board  were  very  desirous  to  help 
the  following  churches:  Manchester,  Burlington,  Berlin, 
Newington,  Milton,  King  Street,  Ridgefield,  North  Stam- 
ford and  Second  Windsor,  but  found  themselves  unable 
to  do  so.  The  brethren  and  sisters  living  in  or  near  Willi- 
mantic  were  advised  to  form  themselves  into  a  church,  the 
churches  of  Lebanon  and  Mansfield  consenting  and  aid- 
ing them,  and  the  State  Missionary  was  directed  to  give 
his  attention  to  the  matter. 

At  the  February  Board  meeting  in  Hartford  the  Rev. 
Levi  Kneeland  was  recognized  as  a  missionary  at 
Packer's  P^actory  and  Voluntown,  the  previous  appointees 
having  failed  to  enter  the  field.  Rev.  Thomas  Rand  and 
Rev.  E.  Skinner  had  also  labored  as  missionaries  with 
acceptance. 

1828.  The  Convention  met  with  the  church  in  Middle- 
town  on  June  1 1 .  Nine  new  churches  and  seven- 
teen societies  united  with  the  body.  Revs.  Hill,  Shailer, 
Wilson,  F.  Wightman  and  Cookson  constituted  the 
Board.  A  deep  interest  in  the  Burman  Mission  pre- 
vailed. The  Christian  Secretary  was  not  forgotten.  The 
number  of  trustees  was  increased,  and  the  general  inter- 
ests of  the  Convention  seem  to  have  been  greatly  pro- 
moted and  its  prospects  encouraging.     As  to  statistics  of 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION        25 

numbers  the  manuscript  minutes  are  not  clear  till  the  ses- 
sion of  1831,  when  the  number  of  communicants  was  put 
down  at  8,296,  churches  86,  ordained  ministers  68,  and 
baptisms  for  that  year  694. 


26  HISTORY  OF  THE 


Chapter  III. 

iSso-iSsQ. 

The  history  of  the  Convention  from  1823  to  1829,  a 
period  of  seven  years,  was  compiled  from  the  files  of  the 
Christian  Secretary.  From  this  time  on,  however,  we 
hav^e  the  printed  minutes.  These  records  are  so  full,  in- 
creasing in  volume  as  the  years  pass  and  the  interests  with 
which  the  Convention  concerns  itself  multiply,  that  it  is 
a  difficult  task  to  determine  what  to  take  and  what  to 
leave  out. 

In  the  minutes  of  1830  we  fmd  an  extract  from  those  of 
1829  in  which,  after  recounting  in  brief  the  history  al- 
ready told,  there  is  added:  "This  body  has  been  in 
existence  nearly  six  years,  and  has  expended  for  foreign 
and  state  missions  over  $6,000.  A  number  of  state  mis- 
siotaries  have  been  annually  in  their  employment, 
churches  have  been  constituted,  revivals  of  religion  pro- 
moted, feeble  churches  strengthened,  and  we  have  reason 
to  believe  many  souls  will  through  a  long  eternity  bless 
God  that  they  were  permitted  to  hear  the  Gospel 
preached  by  these  servants  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ." 

This  summary  of  the  history  of  the  first  six  years  is 
also  a  true  forecast  of  the  aims  and  achievements  of  the 
Convention  through  all  the  years  of  its  subsequent  his- 
tory. The  fathers  planned  wisely,  and  laid  the  foun- 
dations of  their  work  in  prayer  and  consecration.  Condi- 
tions since  their  time  have  greatly  changed.  The  un- 
expected and  unforeseen  has  happened.  It  were  better  to 
say,  since  there  is  no  "hap"  in  the  overruling  Providence, 
God  has  thrust  upon  the  Convention  burdens  and  oppor- 
tunities that  the  fathers  never  dreamed  of.  There  had 
indeed  already  begun  to  pass  over  the  state  changes  which 
were  to  imperil  the  continued  existence  of  many  of  our 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION        27 

rural  churches.  The  depopulation  of  the  country  towns 
had  fairly  set  in,  partly  owing  to  the  opening  up  of  the 
great  West  which,  with  its  broad  acreage  and  more  fer- 
tile soil,  lured  the  younger  and  more  enterprising  farm- 
ers, but  still  more  owing  to  the  growing  manufacturing 
interests  which  were  concentrated  in  the  river  towns  and 
larger  cities  of  the  state. 

Most  of  the  Baptist  churches  had  been  located  in  the  ■ 
rural  districts,"  and  these  found  it  increasingly  difficult 
to  maintain  themselves.  While  one  purpose,  if  not  the 
main  purpose,  of  the  Convention  was  to  meet  these  new 
conditions  already  apparent,  the  fathers  could  not  have 
foreseen  how  serious  the  question  was  to  become,  nor 
how  many  of  these  churches  were  destined  to  extinction 
in  spite  of  the  efforts  made  to  maintain  them.  Still  un- 
foreseen was  the  rapid  increase  of  the  foreign  population 
through  which  today  over  sixty  per  cent,  of  the  residents 
of  the  state  are  either  foreigners  by  birth  or  children  of 
foreigners. 

It  is  evident  that  the  fathers  and  founders  of  the  Con- 
vention had  other  and  farther  reaching  motives  than  the 
evangelization  of  their  own  state.  For  many  years  the 
larger  portion  of  their  gifts,  and  the  greater  part  of  their 
deliberations,  were  devoted  to  promoting  the  spread  of 
the  Gospel  in  what  was  then  the  West,  where  their  sons 
had  emigrated.  Nor  were  they  content  to  stop  their 
prayers  or  stay  their  outreaching  beneficience  till  they 
reached  the  "uttermost  parts  of  the  earth."  For  the 
first  twenty  years,  1830  to  1849,  the  gifts  for  state  mis- 
sions were  $14,646,  while  for  foreign  missions  they 
amounted  to  $39,993,  and  a  still  larger  sum  was  given  to 
to  the  Home  Mission  Society  and  the  Bible  Society. 

1830.  The  seventh  annual  meeting  of  the  Convention 
was  held  in  Mansfield,  in  the  church  now  known 
as  "Spring  Hill."  The  session  was  opened  by  Rev.  Rufus 
Babcock,  pastor  of  the  North  Colebrook  church,  which 
was  then  large  and  prosperous.  Rev.  Elisha  Cushman 
was  chosen  President;  Rev.  John  Cookson,  Secretary,  and 


28  HISTORY  OF  THE 

Joseph  B.  Gilbert,  Treasurer.  Sixty-five  churches  were 
on  the  roll,  though  only  twenty-nine  had  sent  delegates. 
Of  these  sixty-five  churches  nineteen  have  since  fallen  by 
the  way,  and  nine  of  the  remainder  are  still  on  the  list 
of  aided  churches. 

A  Good  Word  for  an  Educated  Ministry. 

Rev.  E.  Thresher  of  the  Northern  Education  Society 
was  present  and  spoke  for  ministerial  education,  and 
doubtless  received  a  contribution.  At  all  events,  his  ad- 
dress bore  good  fruit,  for  the  Convention  adopted  the 
following  minute : 

^'Whereas,  The  subject  of  ministerial  education  deeply 
interests  the  feelings  of  many  of  our  brethren,  who  confi- 
dently express  their  opinion  of  its  utility  to  Zion,  there- 
fore, 

"Resolved,  That  it  be  recommended  to  all  our  churches 
candidly  to  examine  the  subject,  and  to  pray  earnestly 
that  God  will  direct  them  in  their  duty." 

We  see  how  cautiously  this  preamble  and  resolution 
are  worded.  Evidently  the  brethren  were  not  entirely 
a  unit  on  this  matter.  There  was  still  a  "lingering  rem- 
nant" of  our  people,  ministers  as  well  as  laymen,  who 
were  afraid  that  an  educated  ministry  might  come  to  con- 
sider itself  independent  of  the  Eloly  Spirit,  and  that  too 
many  other  books  might  drive  out  the  devout  study  of  the 
One  Book.  But  we  shall  see  that  the  little  seed  dropped 
so  timidly  into  the  soil  of  these  true  and  loving  hearts 
soon  grew  to  a  full-sized  plant. 

At  this  meeting  Female  Auxiliary  Societies  and  Mite 
Societies,  forerunners  of  the  Women's  Circles  for  Home 
and  Foreign  Missions,  were  represented  by  letters  and 
contributions. 

A  Protest  Against  JTearing  Mourning. 

The  committee  on  "the  expediency  of  wearing  mourn- 
ing" offered  the  following  resolution,  which  was  adopted 
without  dissent: 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION        29 

"Resolved,  l^hat  the  custom  of  wearing  mourning  ap- 
parel can  afford  to  the  afflicted  no  source  of  consolation, 
and  is  no  evidence  to  the  beholder  of  real  grief,  and  we 
recomm.end  that  it  be  discontinued."  No  doubt  many 
of  us  regret  that  this  resolution,  which  has  both  common 
sense  and  real  piety  to  commend  it,  did  not  possess  the 
force  of  a  self-enacting  law.  But  it  was  passed  by  the 
votes  of  the  male  sex  only,  and  was  as  powerless  as  was 
the  famous  bull  against  the  comet. 

In  the  report  of  the  Board  of  Trustees,  by  Rev.  G. 
Robins  of  East  Windsor,  mention  is  made  of  the  death 
of  Rev.  Samuel  Miller,  pastor  of  the  Meriden  church. 
Rev.  Samuel  Miller  was  father  of  Rev.  Harvey  Miller  of 
Meriden,  and  grandfather  of  Edward  Miller,  still  living 
in  Meriden  in  1908. 

Brethren  William  Bentley,  I.  Glazier,  Levi  Kneeland 
and  J.  B.  Ballard  had  labored  as  missionaries.  All  these 
being  settled  pastors,  had  worked  for  the  Convention 
only  a  part  of  the  time,  and  at  a  wage  of  five  dollars  a 
week.  Many  interesting  reports  were  made.  One  of 
these,  read  by  Rev.  G.  A.  Davis  of  the  First  church, 
Hartford,  deserves  special  notice  as  an  evidence  of  the 
world-wide  sympathy  that  exists  among  Christian  breth- 
ren. It  was  in  relation  to  the  cause  of  the  oppressed 
Christians  in  Switzerland.  "The  history  of  the  United 
States  furnishes  abundant  evidence  that  all  the  efforts  to 
prevent  divisions  of  opinion  by  restricting  religious  free- 
dom have  been  ineffectual,  as  we  believe  they  ever  must 
be,  in  our  present  imperfect  state,  and  we  are  convinced 
that  the  church  is  m^ost  secure  which  reposes  on  God  alone 
for  safety,  instead  of  relying  on  the  civil  power."  A 
committee  was  appointed  to  communicate  these  views  to 
the  Established  Church  in  Switzerland  and  to  plead  with 
that  church  for  freedom  of  conscience  in  matters  of 
religion. 

1831.     The  Convention  met  in  Meriden,  June  8.     The 

officers  were:    Rev.  Elisha  Cushman,  President; 

Rev.  John  Cookson,  Secretary,  and  George  Read,  Treas- 


30  HISTORY  OF  THE 

urer.  Rev.  J.  H.  Linsley  was  presented  for  ordination. 
A  committee  appointed  to  examine  the  candidate  ap- 
proved him  and  recommended  that  he  be  ordained.  But 
as  there  is  no  record  of  his  ordination  taking  place  it  is 
to  be  supposed  that  the  brethren  were  doubtful  of  the 
expediency  of  establishing  such  a  precedent,  and  wisely 
refrained.  At  all  events,  there  is  but  one  repetition  of 
such  an  incident  in  the  subsequent  records,  and  that  is 
of  one  set  apart  as  a  foreign  missionary. 

The  secretaries  or  other  agents  of  the  following  so- 
cieties were  requested  to  furnish  the  Convention  with 
concise  accounts  of  their  state  and  prospect:  The  "Con- 
necticut Branch  of  the  Baptist  General  Tract  Society," 
afterwards  known  as  the  Publication  Societ^^,  the  "Chris- 
tian Secretary  Association,"  the  "Connecticut  Baptist  Sab- 
bath-school Society,"  and  the  "Connecticut  Education  So- 
ciety," which  had  been  organized  in  1819.  Delegates 
were  appointed  to  visit  the  State  Conventions  of  Massa- 
chusetts, New  Hampshire,  New  York,  Rhode  Island  and 
Vermont.  The  church  in  Willimantic,  having  exhausted 
its  means  in  building,  was  heartily  recommended  to  the 
churches  for  pecuniary  aid,  as  there  was  no  fund  in  the 
treasury  to  relieve  them. 

Proposed  Appointment  of  Delegates. 

Rev.  L.  Kneeland,  in  behalf  of  the  Stonington  Union 
Association,  requested  the  privilege  of  sending  delegates 
to  the  Convention  directly  from  that  body  instead  of 
from  the  several  churches.  The  request  was  granted, 
but  there  is  no  evidence  in  the  minutes  either  that  the  As- 
sociation availed  itself  of  this  privilege,  or  that  it  was 
granted  to  any  other.  Had  it  become  the  established 
custom  in  all  associations  it  would  have  contributed  much 
to  the  dignity  and  stability  of  the  Convention,  and  greatly 
increased  its  efficiency.  But  Baptists  have  made  a  fetich 
of  Church  Independence. 

Eight  churches  received  aid  this  year.  Three  brethren 
labored  as  missionaries:  William  Bentley,  Joseph  Glazier 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION        31 

and  E.  Doty.  In  the  minutes  for  this  year  we  find  a 
tabulated  statement  of  the  churches,  arranged  according 
to  associations,  and  giving  the  vital  statistics  of  each 
church.  In  this  table  108  churches  are  enrolled,  but  18 
of  these  were  outside  of  the  state.  The  baptisms  reported 
were  694,  and  there  was  a  total  membership  of  8,296. 

1832.  The  ninth  annual  meeting  was  held  with  the 
Middletown  church  June  13.  The  officers  were 
Rev.  Elisha  Cushman,  President;  Rev.  John  Cookson, 
Secretary;  Jeremiah  Brown,  Treasurer.  By  the  passage 
of  the  following,  special  emphasis  was  laid  upon  the 
distinctive  work  of  state  missions : 

"Resolved,  That  the  interests  of  our  holy  religion  re- 
quire at  this  time  the  united  exertions  and  hearty  co- 
operation of  the  members  and  churches  of  the  Baptist 
denomination,  for  assisting  and  sustaining  our  feeble 
churches,  and  for  supporting  the  cause  of  Christ  in  our 
own  state." 

The  process  of  the  depletion  of  the  population  in 
the  rural  districts  was  becoming  each  year  more  ap- 
parent. While  the  leaders  of  our  people  did  not  desire 
that  the  churches  should  do  any  less  for  the  objects 
far  afield,  they  felt  that  more  should  be  done  and 
could  be  done  for  the  churches  at  home.  This  year  the 
total  benevolence  of  the  churches  as  reported  was  $3,765, 
but  of  this  $435,  or  about  one  dollar  in  nine,  was  devoted 
to  the  state  work.  For  some  years  following  this  there 
was  an  improvement  in  this  condition.  The  gifts  to  out- 
side objects  did  not  lessen,  but  the  proportion  of  gifts 
to  state  missions  increased  until  it  reached  one  dollar  in 
eight,  and  one  in  seven,  and  in  a  few  instances  one  in  six. 
Still  as  the  needs  of  the  home  field  have  been  consl'antly 
enlarging,  we  are  not  surprised  that  the  constantly  recur- 
ring note  in  all  the  pleas  of  the  Board  has  been  "No  less 
for  other  causes  and  other  fields,  but  more  and  still  more 
for  Connecticut." 

During  this  meeting  the  Education  Society,  the  Con- 
necticut Branch  of  the  Publication  Society,  and  the  Con- 


32  HISTORY  OF  THE 

nectlcut  Baptist  Sunday-school  Society,  were  invited  to 
publish  their  several  transactions  in  the  minutes  of  the 
Convention.  From  this  time  on  these  reports  form  a 
large  part  of  the  Convention  minutes.  The  limits  of  this 
volume,  however,  will  forbid  more  than  occasional  refer- 
ences to  these  valuable  agencies,  which  have  contributed 
so  largely  to  the  prosperity  of  our  churches,  and  have 
proved  such  aids  to  the  work  of  the  Convention. 

Rev.  Jonathan  Going,  at  that  time  Corresponding  Sec- 
retary of  the  American  Baptist  Home  Mission  Society, 
made  an  earnest  appeal  concerning  the  spiritual  destitu- 
tion of  the  people  of  the  Mississippi  Valley.  It  was 
then 

"Resolved,  That  this  Convention  become  auxiliary  to 
the  Home  Mission  Society  on  such  conditions  as  may  be 
determined  by  the  Board." 

This  was  the  first  step  toward  that  close  union  and  co- 
operation which  has  been  so  great  a  help  to  the  work  of 
state  missions,  especially  in  the  later  years  in  activity 
among  the  foreign-born.  Yet  at  the  time  this  action  was 
taken  the  foreigners  were  an  unappreciable  quantity. 

Action  was  taken  in  regard  to  the  plague  which  had 
been  ravaging  Europe,  and  which  it  was  feared  might 
spread  to  this  country.  A  day  of  fasting  and  prayer  was 
recommended  to  be  observed  on  the  first  Monday  in  July. 

A  Deliverance  on  Wearing  Jewelry. 

Extended  reference  was  made  to  the  letter  of  Dr.  Ad- 
oniram  Judson  addressed  to  the  women  of  our  churches, 
urging  them  to  avoid  the  wearing  of  costly  jewels,  and  to 
dispose  of  these  for  the  benefit  of  foreign  missions.  Two 
resolutions  were  passed,  the  first  of  which  reads : 

"Resolved,  That  we  view  it  as  a  cause  of  devout  grati- 
tude to  God  that  several  of  our  female  friends  have  con- 
tributed their  gold  ornaments  to  the  cause  of  missions, 
and  that  all  the  members  of  our  churches  who  wear  such 
ornaments  be  affectionately  invited  to  imitate  their 
worthy  example."     Reference  is  made  to  this  matter  in 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION        33 

two  subsequent  meetings,  and  other  examples  of  this 
praiseworthy  self-denial  are  given.  But  either  the  women 
of  that  day  did  not  lavish  much  on  ornaments  of  gold, 
or  the  great  majority  did  not  respond  to  this  appeal.  The 
value  of  all  the  fourteen  articles  of  jewelry  surrendered 
did  not  exceed  thirty-five  dollars. 

Ten  churches  were  aided  to  the  amount  of  $220.  Rev. 
Wm.  Bentley  had  continued  in  the  service  of  the  Board 
as  missionary.  The  name  of  Rev.  N.  E.  Shailer,  after- 
wards so  greatly  beloved  and  revered,  and  so  prominent- 
ly identified  with  the  mission  work  of  the  Convention, 
appears  for  the  first  time.  He  served  as  missionary  for 
three  months,  but  then  accepted  the  charge  of  the  church 
in  Montville. 

The  Education  Society  had  begun  the  enterprise  of 
building  the  Sufiield  Institution.  They  had  received 
$1,977,  but  had  closed  the  year  with  a  debt  of  $1,903. 

1833.  The  tenth  annual  meeting  was  held  with  the  Le- 
banon church,  on  June  12.  The  same  as  last 
year.  Rev.  Elisha  Cushman  was  President;  Rev.  John 
Cookson,  Secretary,  and  Jeremiah  Brown,  Treasurer. 
Fifty-seven  churches  were  represented  by  delegates.  The 
constitution  was  amended  "to  allow  each  church  to  send 
two  delegates,  besides  the  ordained  minister  belonging 
to  them,  and  each  primary  society  one  delegate,  and  that 
any  member  may  come  as  representative." 

First  Resolution  on  Temperance. 

In  the  minutes  of  this  year  appears  the  first  resolution 
on  the  subject  of  temperance.  It  was  presented  by  Rev. 
J.  H.  Linsley,  and  was  a  ringing  arraignment  of  drunken- 
ness as  a  mortal  sin,  closing  with  this  resolution: 

"Resolved,  That  we  recommend  to  all  the  Baptist 
churches  of  this  state  that  they  wholly  abstain  from  the 
use  and  vending  of  ardent  spirits."  Such  resolutions  are 
found  in  nearly  every  year's  minutes  since  that  time. 
Soon  after  this  a  committee  on  temperance  was  annually 


X 


34  HISTORY  OF  THE 

appointed  and  presented  a  formal  report.  The  sentiment 
on  this  m.atter,  as  expressed  by  these  reports,  has  been  uni- 
formly vigorous  and  uncompromising.  It  is  not  judged 
necessary  to  give  these  reports  room  in  this  brief  resume 
of  the  Convention's  history  of  eighty-four  years.  They 
are  of  necessity  largely  repetitions,  yet  they  show  a 
decided  advance  in  stringency  as  time  goes  on.  Not  only 
are  "ardent  spirits"  tabooed,  as  in  the  foregoing  resolu- 
tion, but  "all  intoxicating  beverages."  A  resolution  of- 
fered in  a  Convention  today  recommending  that  no  mem-- 
ber  of  a  Baptist  church  should  engage  in  the  "sale  of 
ardent  spirits"  would  be  a  decided  anachronism. 

The  Convention  and  the  Home  Mission  Society. 

The  report  of  the  Board  deals  largely  with  the  Con- 
vention becoming  an  auxiliary  of  the  Home  Mission  So- 
ciety. Certain  conditions  had  been  laid  down  by  the  lat- 
ter society,  but  these  conditions  were  not  accepted  by 
the  Convention.  Probably  this  was  because  they  dealt 
only  with  the  employment  of  missionaries,  and  made  no 
provision  for  aid  to  feeble  churches.  The  formal  co- 
operation of  these  two  societies  was  therefore  delayed 
for  a  few  years.  The  later  close  union  between  them  will 
be  considered  in  its  place.  The  Board  had  granted  aid  to 
fifteen  churches.  It  had  also  continued  Rev.  William 
Bentley  in  its  employ  as  missionary  for  forty  weeks.  Men- 
tion is  made  of  the  beginning  of  an  interest  in  Tariffville 
under  the  labors. of  Rev.  A.  Bolles. 

The  employment  of  a  financial  agent,  as  requested  by 
the  Board,  was  referred  to  a  special  committee  which  re- 
ported favorably,  and  the  following  action  was  taken: 

"Resolved,  That  the  Board  be  directed  to  seek  out  and 
employ,  as  the  organ  of  this  body,  a  suitable  brother  who 
will  take  upon  himself  the  fellowship  of  ministering  to 
the  saints,  and  of  procuring  the  means  necessary  to  the 
accomplishment  of  the  designs  of  the  Convention."  The 
reader  cannot  but  notice  the  quaintness  of  the  phrase- 
ology, first  in  naming  such  agent  as  an   "organ,"   and, 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION        35 

second,  in  implying  that  his  appeals  for  money,  made  to 
the  churches,  would  be  in  the  nature  of  a  "fellowship  of 
ministering  to  the  saints."  Yet  this  is  certainly  the  ideal 
description  of  one  whose  function  is  to  gather  the  free- 
will offerings  of  the  people  for  the  service  of  the  Lord. 
To  the  ready  ears  of  the  people  his  appeals  should  be  as 
strains  of  sweet  music.  And  how  can  one  serve  better 
in  "the  fellowship  of  ministering"  than  when  he  is  made 
the  almoner  of  the  Christian's  bounty  to  the  spiritually 
destitute? 

It  was  also  proposed,  by  another  committee,  that  a 
printed  subscription  blank  should  be  prepared  and  sent 
to  all  the  members  of  the  churches.  Foreign  and  Home 
Missions,  and  the  Education  Society,  and  the  Publication 
Society,  as  well  as  the  Convention,  should  have  a  place 
on  this  document.  The  suggestion  was  further  made  that 
one  cent  a  month  for  each  object  from  all  the  Baptists 
would  amount  to  $5,000  a  year. 

In  this  year  is  recorded  the  first  annuity  gift.  It  was 
from  Mrs.  Hannah  Smith  of  Branford,  and  was  a  gift  of 
one  hundred  dollars,  to  bear  interest  at  six  per  cent,  dur- 
ing her  life.  It  is  not  known  when  this  gift  lapsed  to  the 
use  of  the  Convention. 

The  minutes  of  the  Education  Society  occupy  fourteen 
pages  of  this  year's  annual.  The  building  of  the  Suffield 
Academy  had  been  fully  entered  upon.  There  is  a  very 
interesting  list  of  subscriptions  made  for  the  institution, 
and  the  name  of  every  subscriber  is  given.  Four  hundred 
and  seventy-three  persons,  representing  fifty-one  churches, 
contributed  $9,662. 

1  834.  The  eleventh  annual  meeting  was  held  with  the 
First  church,  Hartford.  The  society  continued 
with  the  same  president  and  secretary  as  the  year  before, 
but  the  name  of  the  treasurer  does  not  appear.  This  ses- 
sion was  made  memorable  by  the  presence  of  Rev.  Dr. 
Wade  and  Mrs.  Wade  of  Burma,  Ho  Chet  Thing,  a 
Karen  preacher,  and  Moung  Shwa  Moung,  a  Burman 
convert.  Dr.  Wade  preached  from  Psa.  74:20.  Half  of 
his  sermon  he  preached  in  the  morning,  and  the  other 


36  HISTORY  OF  THE 

half  in  the  evening.  We  can  well  imagine  the  absorbing 
interest  felt  in  these  services,  and  in  the  presence  of  these 
converts  from  the  far-off  heathen  lands. 

The  names  of  Rev.  Robert  Turnbull  and  of  Rollin  H. 
Neale  appear  for  the  first  time  in  the  minutes  of  this  year. 
Dr.  TurnbuH's  name  will  be  found  frequently  recurring 
in  this  history.  At  this  time  he  was  pastor  of  the  Second 
Danbury  church.  Dr.  R.  H.  Neale  became  pastor  in 
Southington.  Thence  he  removed  to  Boston,  Mass.,  and 
was  for  many  years  the  beloved  pastor  of  the  First  Bap- 
tist church  and  a  tower  of  strength  to  the  denomination. 
He  was  a  native  of  Connecticut. 

The  Board  reported  that  twenty  churches  had  been 
aided,  and  more  direct  missionary  labor  performed  than 
in  the  previous  year.  Rev.  Stephen  S.  Nelson  had  served 
as  missionary  for  nine  months,  and  Rev.  B.  Willard  six 
weeks.  Rev.  William  Bentley  had  served  the  entire  year, 
and  to  his  fidelity  the  Board  bore  this  testimony:  "It 
has  been  truly  cheering  to  see  that  veteran  soldier  of  Em- 
manuel, Elder  William  Bentley,  permitted  to  aid  in  and 
enjoy  a  series  of  meetings  of  so  long  duration  and  so 
eminently  blessed,  and  that  in  a  church  of  which  he  was 
once  the  pastor,  in  a  house  erected  by  his  own  procure- 
ment, and  in  the  place  of  his  family  residence." 

The  committee  on  the  employment  of  a  financial  agent 
reported  its  inability  to  secure  one,  but  was  instructed 
to  make  diligent  search,  and  to  offer  such  compensation 
as  it  might  deem  expedient. 

The  report  of  the  Education  Society  announced  that 
the  Suffield  Academy  had  opened  in  August,  1833,  under 
the  principalship  of  Rev.  H.  Ball.  There  had  been  an 
average  of  sixty  students  each  term.  A  farm  of  sixteen 
acres,  with  spacious  dwelling  house  and  other  buildings, 
had  been  purchased,  and  a  contract  had  been  made  for  a 
brick  building  to  cost  $4,500. 

1835.     The  twelfth  annual  meeting  was  held  with  the 

church  in  Middletown,  Rev.  J.  Cookson,  Pastor. 

Rev.  J.  H.  Linsley,  President;  Rev.  J.  Cookson,  Secre- 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION        37 

tary,  and  Joseph  B.  Gilbert,  Treasurer.  Another  foreign 
missionary,  present  as  a  welcome  guest  at  this  session, 
was  the  Rev.  E.  Skinner  from  Liberia,  Africa.  This  was 
the  period  when  the  scheme  of  colonizing  the  free  colored 
people  and  the  escaped  slaves  was  in  favor,  and  was 
deemed  practicable.  It  received  countenance  and  en- 
couragement even  in  the  southern  states,  and  recognition 
by  the  national  government.  It  is  still  advocated  at  the 
present  time  (1907)  by  some  visionary  people,  although 
it  has  been  shown  to  be  physically  impossible  owing 
to  the  rapid  increase  of  the  colored  race,  and  morally 
impossible  because  the  people  themselves,  being  un- 
willing to  be  thus  colonized,  could  only  be  forcibly  de- 
ported. 

First   Anti-Slavery   Resolution. 

The  first  anti-slavery  resolution  on  record  in  the  min- 
utes was  offered  this  year  by  Brother  T.  Huntington: 

"Resolved,  That  while  man  is,  in  this  land  of  light 
and  privilege,  held  in  a  state  of  bondage,  and  denied 
access  to  the  Bible,  it  is  the  duty  of  the  American  people 
openly,  definitely,  and  unreservedly  to  express  a  senti- 
ment of  disapprobation,  and  thus  lend  an  important  aid 
towards  the  speedy  removal  of  this  demoralizing  and 
soul-destroying  evil."  This  resolution,  seemingly  so  mild, 
was  not  directly  entertained  by  the  body,  but  was  referred 
to  a  committee.  As  no  more  is  heard  of  it  we  must  infer 
that  it  was  quietly  smothered.  The  time  of  the  anti- 
slavery  agitation  had  not  fully  come.  In  later  years  the 
Convention  made  ample  amends  for  its  then  existing 
lukewarmness. 

We  find  in  the  minutes  of  this  year  the  name  of  Rev. 
J.  L.  Hodge,  a  native  of  the  state,  who,  after  several 
years  of  useful  service  in  Connecticut  became  so  promi- 
nent in  the  state  of  New  York,  as  pastor  of  the  Mariners' 
church,  and  of  two  churches  in  Brooklyn. 

The  following  action  is  interesting  as  a  souvenir  of  a 
great  work  completed: 


38  HISTORY  OF  THE 

"Resolved,  That  this  Convention  is  grateful  to  God 
/  for  having  continued  the  valuable  life  of  Brother  Judson 
until  he  has  completed  the  translation  of  the  whole  Bible 
into  the  Burman  language,  and  recommends  to  the 
churches  to  make  liberal  donations  to  aid  in  the  printing 
and  circulation  of  it  among  the  idolatrous  Burmans."* 

The  Board  reported  that  Rev.  William  Bentley  had 
performed  a  short  term  of  service,  and  that  Rev.  Breth- 
ren Chester  Tilden,  Erastus  Doty,  Seth  Higby  and  C. 
Curtis  had  also  been  under  employment  for  a  few  weeks. 
They  had  also  employed  a  financial  agent.  "The  agent 
entered  on  the  duties  of  his  office  in  September.  At  the 
meeting  of  the  Board  in  December  he  reported  that  he 
had  collected  $276.14  for  the  American  Baptist  Home 
Mission  Society.  The  Convention,  it  will  be  seen,  de- 
rived no  benefit  from  his  appointment."  The  report  en- 
larges upon  the  high  qualifications  needed  for  such  an 
agent,  and  urges  that  search  should  still  be  prosecuted 
for  such  a  man. 

The  following  extract  from  the  report  of  the  commit- 
tee on  the  American  Baptist  Home  Mission  Society  il- 
lustrates the  amount  of  work  accomplished  in  those  days 
at  small  expenditure.  "During  the  past  year  this  society 
had  in  the  field  ninety-seven  missionaries,  besides  aiding 
in  the  support  of  several  others.  They  performed  sixty- 
eight  years  and  five  months'  labor  of  one  minister.  Sixty 
churches  have  been  constituted.  At  least  twenty-five  hun- 
dred were  baptized.  The  entire  expenditure,  including 
administration,  was  only  $8,839." 

The  special  committee  on  agent  reported  quite  quaint- 
ly: "If  a  suitable  man  could  be  obtained  we  would  strong- 
ly urge  his  appointment,  but  as  we  know  of  no  such  per- 
son, and  as  a  bad  or  unskillful  agent  is  worse  than  none, 
we  recommend  that  the  pastors  of  the  several  churches 
be  appointed  and  empowered  to  act  as  agents  in  their 
respective    churches.      It    is    possible    that    if    in    later 

*  It  may  be  permitted  the  writer  to  add  that  he  had  the  privilege  of  living  six 
months,  in  Homer,  N.  Y.,  in  the  home  of  Mr.  Ranney,  the  man  who  as  missionary 
printer  in  Burma,  had  set  every  type  in  the  Bible,  and  was  proud  of  the  achievement  and 
profoundly  grateful  for  the  honor  of  having  been  a  co-laborer  with  the  saintly  Judson. 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION        39 

years  the  brethren  could  have  remembered  this  earlier 
experience  in  finding  "the  perfect  man,"  they  might  in 
some  cases  have  been  more  sympathetic  and  lenient  and 
helpful  toward  those  not  yet  made  perfect,  who  have 
undertaken  the  duties  of  agents  or  superintendents  of 
missions. 

The  Connecticut  Literary  Institution,  and  a  Cheap 
Education, 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Education  Society  gratifying 
reports  were  given  of  the  progress  of  the  Suffield 
Academy.  That  it  was  the  purpose  of  the  promoters  of 
this  school  to  furnish  an  education  at  its  lowest  possible 
cost  is  evident  from  the  following  remarkable  schedule  of 
prices,  which  is  given  as  printed  in  the  minutes.  Its 
curfous  jumble  of  the  number  of  pieces  allowed  in  the 
weekly  wash  with  the  bill  of  fare  for  the  tables  consti- 
tutes one  of  the  curiosities  of  literature,  comparable  to 
the  item  in  "Alice  in  Wonderland,"  detailing  the  charges 
in  the  boarding-school,  "French  and  washing  extra." 

Price  of  Tuition. 

For  the  languages,  Latin,  Greek,  French  and  He- 
brew, per  quarter,    $5.00 

Higher  branches  of  English,   4.00 

Common  English  branches,    3.00 

Prudential  expenses, 25 

Board  and  washing,  six  pieces  per  week,  including  tea 
and  coffee,  $1.12)^  per  week.  Without  tea  and  coffee, 
$1  per  week.  Furnished  rooms  from  50  to  75  cents  per 
term." 

Surely  the  fathers  and  their  children  must  have  known 
something  in  those  days  of  "plain  living  and  high  think- 
ing." And  think  of  only  a  paltry  difference  of  two  dol- 
lars per  term  in  price  between  the  common  English 
branches  and  the  mastery  of  four  foreign  tongues,  in- 
cluding Hebrew!    The  surrender  of  tea  and  coffee  would 


40  HISTORY  OF  THE 

of  itself  provide  the  funds  for  these  more  erudite  studies. 
All  honor  to  those  patrons  of  the  school  who  made  pos- 
sible the  acquisition  of  so  much  learning.  And  all  honor 
to  the  boys  and  girls  of  that  hardy  home-spun  breed,  who 
trod  those  classic  halls,  and  luxuriated  in  furnished  rooms 
that  rented  for  fifty  cents  a  quarter,  and  in  board  that 
cost  a  dollar  a  week. 

This  year's  minutes  contained  a  statistical  table  of  the 
churches,  the  first  since  1831,  and  the  last  until  1840. 
Six  associations  were  reported.  Among  these  was  the 
''Union  Association,"  to  which  six  Connecticut  churches 
were  attached:  Wilton,  North  Stamford,  New  Milford, 
First  and  Second  Danbury  and  Ridgefield.  This  As- 
sociation does  not  appear  again.  The  Fairfield  Associ- 
ation was  formed  in  1837,  and  the  churches  specified 
united  with  it.  Four  of  these  churches,  Wilton,  North 
Stamford,  First  Danbury  and  Ridgefield,  have  ceased 
to  exist.  New  Milford  is  now  known  as  the  Northville 
church,  though  situated  in  the  township  of  New  Milford. 
In  all  the  state  there  were  reported  108  churches,  72 
pastors,  690  baptisms  and  10,606  members. 

A   Relief   Society. 

We  find  an  account  of  an  experiment,  begun  in  1834,  to 
form  a  society  for  the  relief  of  the  families  of  deceased 
ministers.  It  was  a  sort  of  Ministers'  Life  Insurance 
Company,  The  members  were  to  pay  $2  annually,  and 
the  family  of  the  beneficiary  was  to  draw  $50  at  his 
decease,  "as  soon  as  this  amount  should  be  paid  into  the 
treasury."  It  was  further  provided  that  if  the  funds 
should  warrant,  the  directors  might  vote  an  additional 
sum.  Eighteen  pastors  had  joined  the  society,  and  $34 
were  in  the  treasury.  Brother  A.  Bolles  had  acted  as 
treasurer,  and  was  requested  to  furnish  bonds.  We  hear 
no  more  of  it.  Doubtless  it  was  found  impracticable, 
largely  owing  to  the  constant  changes  in  the  pastorates. 
Yet  it  marked  the  first  step  toward  the  formation,  in  the 
associations,    of    the    societies    for    "the    Care    of    the 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION        41 

Widows  and  Orphans  of  Deceased  Ministers."     It  there- 
fore had  its  entire  justification. 

1836.  The  thirteenth  annual  meeting  was  held  in  Nor- 
wich, with  the  First  church.  The  officers  were: 
Rev.  John  Cookson,  President;  Rev.  Orasmus  Allen, 
Corresponding  Secretary;  Rev.  S.  S.  Mallory,  Recording 
Secretary,  and  Deacon  Joseph  B.  Gilbert,  Treasurer. 

The  American  and  Foreign  Bible  Society. 

Rev.  Spencer  H.  Cone,  D.D.,  pastor  of  the  First 
church,  New  York,  after  preaching  a  sermon,  presented 
the  cause  of  this  new  organization.  It  had  lately  been 
formed  on  account  of  the  refusal  of  the  American  Bible 
Society  to  aid  in  publishing  any  translation  of  the  Bible 
in  foreign  tongues  which  translated  the  Greek  words  re- 
ferring to  the  ordinance  of  Baptism  into  their  equivalents 
in  the  vernacular.  The  society  insisted  upon  the  trans- 
literation of  such  words,  thus  introducing  a  word  in  a  lan- 
guage unknown  to  the  people,  so  that  the  mode  of  bap- 
tism, whether  by  immersion,  pouring,  or  sprinkling,  might 
be  explained  to  the  native  convert  at  the  discretion  of  the 
missionary.  Dr.  Cone's  appeal  for  the  full  and  faithful 
translation  of  the  entire  Word  of  God  met  with  a  cordial 
response.    The  following  resolutions  were  adopted: 

"Resolved,  That  we  are  disposed  to  cooperate  with 
our  brethren  in  any  judicious  measure  to  sustain  our  mis- 
sionaries in  a  faithful  translation  of  the  Word  of  God. 

^^Resolved,  That  we  recommend  the  formation  of  a 
State  Bible  Society  auxiliary  to  the  American  and  Foreign 
Bible  Society." 

This  society  was  forthwith  organized,  a  constitution 
and  by-laws  adopted,  and  a  full  list  of  officers  appointed. 
Never  perhaps  was  action  more  speedy  and  spontaneous, 
nor  did  an  appeal  ever  meet  more  quick  and  generous  re- 
sponse. The  reports  of  this  society  at  once  took  a  promi- 
nent place  in  the  transactions  of  the  Convention,  and  the 
contributions  for  the  next  few  years  were  large. 


42  HISTORY  OF  THE 

The  Code  of  Rules. 

The  committee  appointed  the  previous  year  to  formu- 
late a  code  of  rules  for  the  regulation  of  the  Convention 
made  a  report,  which  was  adopted.  Only  the  first  rule 
calls  for  special  mention:  "The  oldest  member  present 
shall  call  the  Convention  to  order  and,  after  prayer,  re- 
quest the  delegates  to  present  the  certificates  of  their 
appointment."  This  rule  of  order  has  never  been  re- 
pealed. It  has  been  honored  more  in  its  breach  than  in 
its  observance.  The  first  clause  was  abrogated  by  the 
by-laws  adopted  later,  providing  that  the  President,  or 
in  his  absence  the  Vice-President,  or  the  Secretary,  should 
call  the  Convention  to  order.  But  an  experience  as 
Secretary  for  a  period  of  sixteen  years  enables  the  writer 
to  say  that  very  few  certificates  of  appointment  have  ever 
been  presented  by  the  delegates.  This  results  partly  from 
the  fact  that  the  great  body  of  delegates  have  been  per- 
sonally known,  but  still  more  from  a  natural  democratic 
repugnance  to  formalities.  Yet  those  familiar  with  the 
proceedings  of  the  Convention  will  readily  admit  that 
this  neglect  of  formalities  has  impaired  the  dignity  of 
these  meetings,  and  the  legality  of  the  actions  of  this 
body  might  be  called  in  question. 

The  Peace  Society. 

This  year  was  characterized  by  the  appointment  of  a 
committee  on  the  promotion  of  peace.  Its  report  in  part 
was  as  follows:  "The  popular  custom  of  attempting  to 
settle  difficulties,  and  adjusting  points  of  honor,  by  shed- 
ding the  blood  of  our  fellow-men  is  a  palpable  violation 
of  the  principles  of  our  holy  religion.  It  has  also  proved 
to  be  one  of  the  heaviest  and  bitterest  scourges  which 
have  afflicted  our  fallen  world.  Its  heaviest  blows  fall 
upon  the  guiltless,  rather  than  on  those  who  have  insti- 
gated the  bloody  combat." 

The  report  closes  with  fitting  resolutions.  Our  breth- 
ren   interested   themselves    in    every    humanitarian    and 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION        43 

philanthropic  endeavor,  recognizing  that  all  these  are  in- 
cluded in  the  Great  Commission.  We  can  say  with  full 
conviction  that  the  Peace  Meetings  held  in  eastern  Con- 
necticut so  persistently  even  to  the  present  time  have  been 
a  potent  factor  in  promoting  the  national  sentiment  which 
has  found  its  latest  expression  in  the  "Peace  Conference" 
and  the  "Geneva  Tribunal." 

Report  of  the  Board. 

The  direct  missionary  work,  done  was  less  than  usual. 
Rev.  William  Bentley  was  in  the  service  of  the  Board 
thirty-four  weeks,  and  collected  for  state  missions  $102. 
Rev.  L.  F.  Beecher  served  for  six  weeks,  returning  for 
foreign  missions  $5.16,  for  home  missions  $113.59,  and 
for  state  missions  $149.13.  Twelve  churches,  among 
which  was  the  First  Waterbury,  had  been  aided  to  the 
amount  of  $259,  while  the  Board  had  been  compelled  to 
refuse  eighteen  other  churches  which  had  applied  for 
aid.     The  Convention  had  received  only  $494.29. 

1837.  The  fourteenth  annual  meeting  was  held  with  the 
South  church,  Hartford.  The  officers  were: 
Rev.  John  Cookson,  President;  William  Parker,  Secre- 
tary, and  Joseph  B.  Gilbert,  Treasurer.  A  committee 
was  appointed  to  revise  the  Constitution,  and  the  docu- 
ment as  thus  modified  was  printed  in  this  year's  minutes. 
It  is  the  first  constitution  that  appears  in  the  printed 
minutes  of  the  Convention. 


Report  of  the  Board. 

The  report  mentions  the  death  of  Rev.  G.  F.  Davis, 
who  "was  foremost  in  all  our  councils,  and  a  warm  friend 
of  the  Convention,"  Rev.  William  Bentley  had  given 
nine  months  to  the  service  of  the  Board.  Brother  George 
Phippin  had  spent  nine  weeks  as  collecting  agent,  and  had 
raised  $51.63.     Fourteen  churches  had  been  aided  this 


44  HISTORY  OF  THE 

year  to  the  amount  of  $258.75.  The  report  closes  with 
the  following  indirect  appeal  for  state  missions:  "The 
Home  and  Foreign  Missions  are  enterprises  of  vast  im- 
portance, but  if  we  would  see  them  well  sustained  we 
must  cultivate  our  own  territory."  A  report  of  a  special 
committee,  raised  again  this  year,  on  a  proposed  agency 
for  collecting  funds  says:  "It  seems  to  us  inexpedient 
to  appoint  a  general  agent.  We  recommend  as  a  substi- 
tute that  the  Secretary  of  the  Board  be  directed  to  ad- 
dress a  printed  circular  stating  the  wants  of  the  feeble 
churches  to  each  pastor,  or  to  a  deacon  where  there  is 
no  pastor,  requesting  them  to  lay  the  subject  before  the 
congregation,  in  whatever  way  may  seem  to  them  judi- 
cious, and  make  returns  of  the  result  to  the  Secretary," 

We  have  given  space  to  these  experiments  in  efforts  to 
raise  money  from  the  churches  because  they  have  their 
lessons  for  our  day.  If  the  pastors  would  always  do  their 
full  duty  in  this  matter  there  would  be  no  lack  of  money. 
But  the  history  of  the  Convention  up  to  this  date,  as 
well  as  all  subsequent  experience,  has  established  the  con- 
viction that  the  work  of  the  Convention  can  be  properly 
brought  before  the  churches  only  by  an  agent  of  ability 
thoroughly  conversant  with  the  conditions  and  needs  of 
the  whole  field. 

Deacon  William  Colgate,  a  leading  layman  of  New 
York,  was  present  and  spoke  in  behalf  of  the  American 
and  Foreign  Bible  Society.  The  great  earnestness  of  our 
people  in  the  work  of  that  society  was  shown  by  their 
generous  contribution  of  $2,428  to  its  support. 

1838.  The  fifteenth  annual  m.eeting  was  held  with  the 
New  London  church.  Rev.  John  Cookson  was 
President;  Rev.  Henry  Wooster,  Secretary;  Rev.  Robert 
Turnbull,  Corresponding  Secretary,  and  Deacon  Joseph 
B.  Gilbert,  Treasurer.  This  is  the  first  appearance  of 
Dr.  Turnbull's  name  as  one  of  the  oflicers  of  the  Con- 
vention, in  which  for  many  years  he  was  "primus  inter 
pares."  It  is  also  of  exceeding  interest  to  see  the  names 
of  Rev.  Howard  Malcolm,  Rev.  Archibald  Maclay  and 


REV.    ROBERT   TURNBULL,   D.D. 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION        45 

Rev.  Alfred   Bennett,    all  of   whom  were   distinguished 
leaders  in  the  Baptist  host. 

Report  of  the  Board. 

"Out  of  the  meager  funds  placed  at  its  disposal"  the 
Board  had  aided  fourteen  churches,  the  First  Bridgeport 
being  one  of  the  recipients  of  this  bounty.  It  was  not 
"many  days"  before  the  little  loaf  of  bread  "cast  upon 
the  waters"  returned,  as  only  two  entries  of  help  from 
the  Convention  to  that  church  appear.  This  church  has 
grown  to  be  one  of  the  strongest  and  most  liberal 
churches  in  our  state,  and  a  "succorer  of  many."  Not 
disheartened  at  the  leanness  of  the  treasury,  and  resolved 
at  least  to  attempt  great  things  for  God,  the  Board  took 
the  following  action,  if  resolving  can  be  called  acting: 

"Resolved,  That  the  Board  of  Missions  be  directed 
to  extend  their  patronage  to  every  church  of  the  denomi- 
nation in  the  state  which,  in  their  judgment,  would  be 
benefited  by  an  appropriation." 

To  show  its  patriotism,  and  at  the  same  time  to  direct 
that  patriotism   in   a    religious  channel,    the   Convention 

"Resolved,  That  it  be  affectionately  recommended  to 
our  churches  to  observe  the  Fourth  of  July  next  by  as- 
sembling their  Sabbath-schools  on  that  day,  and  spending 
it  in  such  religious  services  as  in  their  judgment  will  con- 
duce to  their  prosperity." 

1839.  The  sixteenth  annual  meeting  was  held  with  the 
First  New  Haven  church,  June  11.  The  officers 
were:  Rev.  J.  H.  Linsley,  President;  Rev.  R.  Turnbull, 
Secretary;  B.  Cook,  Jr.,  Corresponding  Secretary,  and 
Joseph  B.  Gilbert,  Treasurer. 

Report  of  the  Board  of  Trustees. 

"During  the  past  year  $490.21  have  been  paid  into 
the  treasury  for  state  missions.  This  sum  has  been 
distributed  among  sixteen  churches,  and  $25   paid  Rev. 


46  HISTORY  OF  THE 

Davis  T.  Shailer,  a  missionary  worker  In  Branford.  In 
accordance  with  a  resolution  passed  at  the  last  anni- 
versary the  Board  has  made  efforts  to  obtain  a  missionary 
to  labor  exclusively  among  the  destitute  churches,  but 
has  been  unable  to  secure  a  suitable  person.  As  efforts 
'have  been  made  by  some  associations  to  do  something  for 
the  feeble  churches  within  their  limits,  and  a  wish  express- 
ed to  cooperate  v/Ith  the  Board,  the  following  resolution 
was  passed  by  the  Board  at  Its  meeting  in  January: 

*'  'Resolved,  That  this  Board  most  cordially  approves 
of  missionaries  being  employed  by  the  several  associa- 
tions to  labor  within  their  respective  bounds,  and  that 
the  funds  raised  by  the  churches  composing  such  as- 
sociations, and  paid  into  the  treasury  of  the  Convention, 
be  appropriated  as  far  as  shall  be  necessary  for  the  sup- 
port of  such  missionaries.' 

"In  carrying  into  effect  this  resolution  the  Fairfield  As- 
sociation have  set  a  noble  example.  Since  October  last 
they  have  raised  and  appropriated  $104." 

We  hear  occasionally  after  this  of  like  action  on  the 
part  of  other  associations,  but  this  custom  fortunately  did 
not  establish  Itself.  Any  one  familiar  with  the  entire 
field  of  state  missions  knows  that  the  largest  needs  are 
often  within  the  associations  that  are  less  able  to  meet 
those  needs.  If  all  the  moneys  raised  within  the  respec- 
tive associations,  and  only  such,  were  spent  on  those  par- 
ticular fields,  there  would  be  miany  churches  and  much 
territory  utterly  neglected. 

Rev.  A.  Bennett  for  the  Home  Mission  Society,  Rev. 
R.  H.  Neale,  then  of  Boston,  for  the  Foreign  Mission 
Society,  and  Rev.  Dr.  Bolles  for  the  same  society,  made 
earnest  appeals. 

Temperance  and  Anti-Slavery  Sentiment. 

Resolutions  in  regard  to  temperance  and  slavery  were 
offered  but  were  laid  upon  the  table,  and  the  following 
substitute  for  them  presented  by  Rev.  William  Jennings, 
was  passed : 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION        47 

"Resolved,  That  in  the  behef  of  the  Convention  it  is 
the  duty  of  every  human  being  to  be  a  strict  temperance 
person,  and  also  that  it  is  the  right  of  every  human  being 
to  be  free,  unless  his  criminal  conduct  should  forfeit  this 
freedom,  and  that  the  letter  and  spirit  of  the  Gospel  if 
carried  out  would  completely  effect  both  of  these  objects. 

"Resolved,  Also,  that  while  we  most  heartily  desire  the 
accomplishment  of  these  objects,  yet  we  deem  it  best  to 
assign  them  to  their  respective  societies,  and  that  it  is  in- 
expedient for  us  to  act  upon  them  in  future  in  our  con- 
ventional capacity." 

It  is  evident  from  the  spirit  of  these  resolutions  that 
while  there  was  practical  unanimity  among  the  brethren 
in  desiring  the  removal  of  these  obnoxious  evils,  they 
were  divided  as  to  the  wisdom  of  some  of  the  methods 
urged,  and  did  not  wish  to  jeopardize  the  harmony  of 
the  Convention  by  the  discussion  of  definite  policies  or 
catch-words.  The  resolutions  were  passed,  yet  no  rule 
of  order  was  adopted  to  carry  them  into  practice.  Re- 
ports and  discussions  on  slavery  are  found  in  our  minutes 
till  slavery  itself  was  abolished.  Committees  on  temper- 
ance are  appointed  each  year  to  the  present  time.  These 
reports,  of  varying  excellence,  are  always  adopted,  but 
the  fact  of  their  being  adopted  is  not  evidence  that  in 
method  and  form  and  phrase  they  meet  with  universal 
acceptance. 


48  HISTORY  OF  THE 


Chapter  IV. 

1840.     The  seventeenth  annual  meeting  was  held  with 
the   Essex  church,   June   9.    Deacon  George   R. 
Read  was  chosen  President;  Rev.  Russell  Jennings,  Secre- 
tary, and  Deacon  J.  B.  Gilbert,  Treasurer. 

Report  of  the  Board. 

This  report  was  unusually  brief  because  little  had  been 
done.  No  missionary  had  been  appointed,  and  the  Board 
had  confined  itself  to  the  simple  task  of  distributing  aid, 
as  best  it  could  out  of  the  small  sum  at  its  disposal,  to 
the  churches  that  applied.  It  had  ventured  to  overdraw 
the  treasury  only  to  the  amount  of  $18.07.  There  had 
been  received  at  the  last  session  of  the  Convention 
$310.54,  leaving  for  the  year  just  passed  $300.  But  dur- 
ing the  following  twelve  months  only  $35.15  had  found 
its  way  into  the  treasury.  It  furnishes  a  lesson  which  to 
this  day  our  good  brethren  have  not  entirely  learned,  that 
the  enthusiasm  awakened  in  one  meeting  will  not  of  itself 
carry  the  work  over  the  following  twelve  months. 

Out  of  the  small  fund  in  hand,  less  than  $350,  the 
Board  had  granted  aid  to  nineteen  churches.  Norwalk, 
New  Britain  and  Waterbury  were  among  the  churches 
aided.  There  appear  also  the  names  of  Avon,  Hampton 
and  Redding,  churches  which  have  long  since  ceased  to 
exist.  There  was  naturally  a  renewal  of  very  earnest  dis- 
cussion over  the  pressing  needs  of  state  missions,  and  the 
obligation  of  the  churches  to  them.  Several  new  resolu- 
tions were  passed,  including  one  to  authorize  the  Board 
to  employ  two  men  of  devotion  and  talent  to  act  as  gen- 
eral missionaries  under  their  direction.     But  to  one  read- 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION        49 

ing  the  report  of  the  succeeding  years  such  action  seems 
even  more  exacting  than  the  decrees  of  the  Pharaohs  to 
the  children  of  Israel,  for  in  this  case  the  Board  was  to 
double  the  tale  of  bricks  when  neither  the  straw  nor  the 
clay  was  furnished. 

Doubtless  one  great  reason  for  this  temporary  decline 
of  interest  in  the  work  of  the  Convention  was  the  too 
open  hospitality  on  the  part  of  the  churches  to  many 
objects  good  in  themselves,  but  not  directly  bearing  on  the 
primary  and  supreme  mission  of  the  Convention.  These 
appeals  had  an  attraction  by  their  novelty,  while  the 
work  of  the  Convention  presents  so  much  sameness  from 
year  to  year  that  it  is  in  danger  of  being  regarded  as 
stale  and  commonplace. 

First  Mention  of  Foreigners  in  the  State. 

It  is  to  be  noticed  that  in  the  deliberations  of  the  breth- 
ren mention  is  made  for  the  first  time  of  the  increasing 
immigration  to  this  country.  No  action  was  taken,  how- 
ever. Several  years  were  to  pass,  indeed  it  was  just 
twenty-two  years  before  the  first  step  was  taken  toward 
working  for  the  conversion  of  these  people  so  provi- 
dentially committed  to  our  care.  In  1840  the  population 
of  the  state  was  309,000,  and  there  were  already  some 
thousands  of  Irish  Catholics.  In  1860,  when  the  popu- 
ulation  had  increased  to  460,000,  there  were  80,000 
foreigners,  55,445  of  whom  were  of  Irish  birth,  8,525 
of  German  parentage,  while  there  were  only  42  Swedes 
and  61  Italians.  Evidently  we  did  not  enter  on  the  work 
any  too  soon. 

1841.  The  eighteenth  annual  meeting  was  held  with  the 
First  Hartford  church.  Rev.  Dwight  Ives  was 
chosen  President,  Rev.  Nathan  Read,  Secretary,  and 
Deacon  J.  B.  Gilbert,  Treasurer.  We  find  also  that  Rev. 
William  Reid  was  chosen  Corresponding  Secretary.  This 
brother  was  another  of  the  Connecticut  pastors  who  at- 
tained distinction  In  the  ministry  In  the  city  of  New  York. 


50  HISTORY  OF  THE 

Report  of  the  Board  of  Trustees. 

Seventeen  churches  had  received  aid  to  the  amount 
of  $400.  An  effort  had  been  made  to  carry  out  the 
mandates  of  the  Convention  and  to  secure  two  competent 
men  to  act  as  missionary  agents,  but  their  churches  had 
refused  to  release  them.  The  Board  sensibly  adds:  "That 
men  might  have  been  secured  we  doubt  not,  but  it  is  our 
deep  conviction  that  but  comparatively  few  are  adapted 
to  this  field  of  work,  and  to  appoint  those  who  are  not 
would  be  to  defeat  the  object  of  such  appointment." 

Not  disheartened  by  the  repeated  partial  failures  of 
the  last  few  years,  the  friends  of  state  missions  again 
urged  the  appointment  of  the  two  men  waited  for.  It 
was  maintained  that  at  least  two  such  men  should  be 
nominated  at  the  next  annual  meeting  for  acceptance  or 
rejection. 

Home  and  Foreign  Missions. 

Though  such  inadequate  support  had  been  given  to 
state  missions,  the  churches  were  not  unresponsive  to 
other  appeals  in  behalf  of  the  cause  of  Christ.  Their 
total  contributions  footed  up  $3,631.  In  this  meeting  the 
Home  and  Foreign  Missions,  as  always,  found  able  and 
zealous  advocates.  We  quote  from  the  report  presented 
on  Foreign  Missions,  which  shows  the  magnitude  of  the 
work,  with  its  successes  and  its  needs.  The  report  says 
in  part:  "We  have  in  all  eighty  stations,  one  hundred 
missionaries,  one  hundred  and  two  native  preachers, 
sixty-seven  churches,  and  four  hundred  and  sixty-two 
baptisms  the  past  year.  The  receipts  of  the  Board  were 
$56,948,  expenditures  $61,860,  leaving  a  deficit  of 
$4,911." 

There  is  found  in  the  minutes  of  this  year  a  brief  sum- 
mary of  the  letters  from  three  of  the  aided  churches, 
New  Britain,  Norwalk  and  Willimantic,  all  expressing 
their  gratitude  to  the  Convention  for  its  financial  and 
moral  support.    The  Willimantic  church  had  received  aid 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION        51 

since   1830.     The  last  gift  was  made  in   1847.      Ihesc 
three  have  grown  into  large  and  influential  churches. 

1842.  The  ninteenth  annual  meeting  was  held  with  the 
Baptist  church  in  Middletown.  Rev.  Dwight 
Ives  was  President,  Rev.  J.  S.  Eaton,  Secretary,  and 
Deacon  J.  B.  Gilbert,  Treasurer.  Ninety-two  churches 
were  on  the  list  as  entitled  to  send  delegates,  but  only 
forty-eight  were  represented.  There  is  also  a  list  of  forty- 
one  societies  within  the  churches,  of  which  number  only 
fifteen  sent  delegates.  This  is  mentioned  as  a  symptom 
of  the  apathy  of  many  of  the  churches  toward  the  work 
of  the  Convention.  It  may  have  been  true,  however,  that 
other  churches  and  societies  were  represented,  but  that 
the  delegates  failed  to  enroll  themselves  on  account  of 
their  repugnance  to  the  formality,  on  which  comment 
has  already  been  made. 

Reporl  of  the  Boai'd  of  Trustees. 

The  Board  reported  that  eight  churches  had  received 
aid  to  the  amount  of  $255.  Brethren  N.  Wildman  and 
N.  E.  Shailer  had  been  appointed  missionaries.  Of  Bro- 
ther Shailer,  who  was  so  long  and  so  happily  connected 
with  the  Convention,  the  report  says:  "On  account  of  the 
deep  religious  interest  in  his  church  he  has  been  able  to 
give  only  three  months  to  the  service,  but  the  results 
have  been  equal  to  our  most  sanguine  expectations.  The 
charge  for  his  services  has  been  only  $92." 

In  the  report  of  the  committee  to  which  was  referred 
the  letters  from  the  aided  churches,  surprise  was  ex- 
pressed that  only  four  of  the  eight  had  written  to  the 
Board,  and  the  committee  adds:  "Would  the  churches 
who  receive  assistance  be  more  regular  in  their  reports, 
stating  particulars  of  an  interesting  nature  connected  with 
their  prosperity  or  adversity,  we  believe  it  would  con- 
tribute greatly  to  the  promotion  of  sympathy,  and  to 
the  means  of  increasing  to  some  degree  the  funds  of  the 
Convention." 


52  HISTORY  OF  THE 

The  Treasurer  reported  as  having  received  for  State 
Missions,  $442.90;  for  Home  Missions,  $1,066.99;  for 
Foreign  Missions,  $2,780.73,  and  also  avails  of  gold 
chain  given  by  Sam'l  G.  Hart  to  foreign  Missions,  $5.58. 

In  the  report  of  the  Treasurer  of  the  Education  So- 
ciety we  also  note  the  gift  of  a  gold  watch  from  some  one 
in  the  New  Haven  Association,  which  netted  seven  dol- 
lars, and  no  doubt  proved  a  timely  gift. 

It  will  of  course  be  borne  in  mind  by  the  reader  that 
during  these  years  other  societies  than  the  Convention 
proper  held  their  annual  meetings.  To  include  even  the 
most  meager  reports  of  these  societies  would  swell  this 
volume  to  unwieldy  proportions.  In  this  year  (1842) 
the  Education  Society  held  its  twenty-fourth  annual  meet- 
ing, the  Connecticut  Baptist  Sunday  School  and  Publi- 
cation Society  its  thirteenth,  and  the  Connecticut  Baptist 
Bible  Society  Its  sixth. 

Years  of  Special  Ingathering. 

The  years  1842  and  1843  stand  out  conspicuously  in 
the  history  of  the  Baptist  churches  of  the  state  as  years 
of  special  ingathering.  Yet  there  Is  in  the  minutes  no 
record  of  any  unusual  evangelistic  effort  having  been 
made,  nor  is  there  any  special  mention  made  of  it  at  the 
time.  In  1842,  with  100  churches  and  13,399  members 
at  the  close  of  the  year,  after  the  gains  had  been  made, 
1,531  baptisms  were  reported.  In  1843,  with  108 
churches,  84  pastors,  and  13,999  members,  the  reported 
baptisms  were  2,052.  These  numbers  have  never  been 
equalled  since.  In  1907  we  report  151  churches,  117 
pastors  (probably  a  mistake  In  figures),  27,433  members, 
and  869  baptisms.  The  average  number  of  baptisms  for 
the  eighty-four  years'  history  of  the  Convention  is  708. 
These  two  years  of  unusual  fruitfulness  were  of  course 
the  result  of  a  special  outpouring  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  Yet 
equally  of  course  there  were  certain  contributory  human 
preparations  and  agencies.  We  can  but  wish  there  were 
some  still  with  us  who  could  tell  us  of  those  days  of  old. 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION        53 

1843.  The  twentieth  annual  meeting  was  held  with  the 
Norwich  church,  Rev.  Dwight  Ives  being  Presi- 
dent, Rev.  J.  S.  Eaton,  Secretary,  and  Deacon  J.  B.  Gil- 
bert, Treasurer.  Among  the  visiting  brethren  were  the 
Revs.  John  Peck,  John  Bowling  and  Archibald  Maclay, 
all  famous  men  in  the  Baptist  ranks. 

Report  of  the  Board  of  Trustees. 

The  report  says  in  part:  "Appropriations  were  made 
to  eighteen  churches  to  the  amount  of  $452.  If  they 
have  been  able  to  give  in  some  cases  only  half  a  loaf, 
where  a  whole  one  is  needed,  the  divine  blessing  seems 
to  have  verified  the  declaration,  'They  that  gathered  little 
had  no  lack.'  .  .  Some  churches  have  done  nobly  in 
liquidating  debts.  The  Willimantic  church  deserves  hon- 
orable mention  in  this  particular,  as  having  set  an  example 
worthy  of  all  imitation."  Gratifying  letters  had  been 
received  from  several  of  the  aided  churches.  A  great 
temperance  reformation  had  been  sweeping  through  the 
state,  which  accounts  in  a  measure  for  the  large  ingather- 
ing into  the  churches  referred  to  above.  The  report  says 
that  while  these  additions  were  warmly  welcomed  they 
did  not  add  to  the  financial  strength  of  the  churches,  be- 
cause King  Alcohol,  before  releasing  them  from  their 
bondage  had  stripped  them  of  all  their  possessions. 

A  legacy  of  $1,000  from  Philo  Morse  of  Litchfield,  to 
be  spent  in  aid  of  the  feeble  churches  in  Litchfield  county, 
had  become  available.  Under  direction  of  the  Board, 
therefore,  Rev.  N.  E.  Shailer  had  spent  some  weeks 
visiting  the  churches  in  Torrington,  Cornwall,  Colebrook, 
New  Milford,  New  Hartford,  Burlington,  Warren,  Rox- 
bury  and  Litchfield. 

The  Passing  of  the  Country  Church. 

Of  the  nine  churches  just  mentioned  only  three  remain 
to  this  day,  viz. :  Cornwall,  Colebrook  and  New  Milford, 
the   last   now  known   as   Northville.      The   Torrington 


54  HISTORY  OF  THE 

church  was  in  the  country,  four  miles  from  the  borough 
of  Torrington,  which  latter  was  at  that  time  known  as 
Wolcottville,  already  a  prosperous  manufacturing  center, 
and  now  having  a  population  of  14,000.  In  1892  the 
writer  buried  the  two  surviving  members  of  the  old  Tor- 
rington church.  The  New  Hartford  church  maintained 
itself  for  many  years,  through  most  of  which  it  received 
aid  from  the  Convention,  but  was  abandoned  a  few  years 
ago  and  its  property  sold.  For  these  untoward  events 
neither  the  churches  themselves  nor  the  Convention 
Boards  are  in  any  way  responsible,  unless  the  not  having 
the  gift  of  prescience  is  to  be  held  a  crime.  It  was  owing 
to  the  inevitable  drift  of  population  to  manufacturing 
centers. 

It  was  probably  evident  to  business  men,  the  "children 
of  this  world,"  who  are  "wiser  in  their  generation  than 
the  children  of  light,"  that  Winsted  and  Torrington  were 
to  be  the  leading  towns  of  this  county.  Had  the  thousand 
dc^lars  been  spent  then  in  planting  churches  in  those  two 
places,  the  large  sums  afterwards  expended  for  that 
purpose  could  have  been  directed  towards  other  inviting 
fields. 

The  Treasurer's  Report. 

There  were  raised  during  the  year  for  the  different 
purposes  of  the  Convention:  State  Missions,  $475.98; 
Foreign  Missions,  $2,362.87;  Home  Missions,  $571.71. 
In  addition  to  these  sums  which  passed  through  the  hands 
of  the  Convention  Treasurer  should  be  noted  $340  to 
the  Education  Society,  $72.11  to  the  Connecticut  Publi- 
cation and  Sunday-school  Society,  and  $1,299  to  the  Con- 
necticut Baptist  Bible  Society,  making  a  grand  total  for 
the  year  of  $5,061.67. 

New  London  County  Missionary  Society. 

This  year  the  churches  of  New  London  county  and 
vicinity    organized    a    missionary    society    and    reported 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION        55 

through  their  treasurer,  P.  C.  Turner,  the  sum  of 
$625.68.  As  these  moneys  had  mostly  been  paid  over  to 
our  different  state  societies,  they  were  included  in  their 
respective  reports.  Nothing  is  heard  from  this  society 
in  subsequent  minutes.  It  is  to  be  concluded  that  this 
"separatist"  movement  had  not  in  it  the  element  of  per- 
petuity. 

Plan  to  Regulate  the  Taking  of  Offerings. 

Rev.  J.  S.  Eaton  as  chairman  of  a  special  committee, 
presented  the  following  resolutions,  which  were  adopted: 

"Resolved,  That  the  churches  in  the  state  be  requested 
to  act  in  concert  according  to  the  following  plan,  viz. : 
to  each  quarter  of  the  year  let  some  specific  object  be 
assigned,  its  claims  be  presented,  and  an  offering  taken. 
For  example,  let  the  first  quarter  be  devoted  to  Home 
and  State  Missions,  the  second  to  the  Education  Society, 
the  third  to  the  Bible  cause,  and  the  fourth  to  Foreign 
Missions. 

"Resolved,  That  the  editor  and  publisher  of  the  Chris- 
tian Secretary  be  requested  to  dev^ote  a  portion  of  the 
paper  during  each  quarter  to  the  specific  object  under 
consideration,  and  to  give  such  information  and  insert 
such  articles  as  shall  be  calculated  to  stimulate  the 
churches  to  faithfulness  and  duty  in  their  action." 

Doubtless  it  took  time  to  work  out  the  reform  thus 
recommended,  but  now  the  most  if  not  all  of  our  churches 
have  forsaken  the  old  hap-hazard  methods,  and  adopted 
some  plan  similar  to  the  one  outlined  in  these  resolu- 
tions. 

1844.  The  twenty-first  annual  meeting  was  held  with 
the  New  Haven  church,  June  11-13.  Rev.  Addi- 
son Parker  was  chosen  President,  Rev.  E.  Cushman, 
Secretary,  and  Brother  Wareham  Griswold,  Treas- 
urer. 

Deacon  Joseph  B.  Gilbert  had  held  the  office  of  Treas- 
urer for  a  period  of  nine  years  and  had  been   "found 


56  HISTORY  OF  THE 

faithful."  Though  no  very  large  sums  at  that  time 
passed  through  the  hands  of  the  Treasurer,  yet  the  ac- 
counts were  complicated,  as  the  funds  collected  for  Home 
and  Foreign  Missions  were  transmitted  through  the  Con- 
vention treasury.  Deacon  Gilbert's  services  were  in- 
valuable. We  are  surprised  to  find  no  record  of  appreci- 
ation in  the  minutes,  but  doubtless  his  record  was  in  the 
hearts  of  his  brethren.  The  brother  who  succeeded  him, 
Wareham  Griswold,  was  destined  to  serve  the  Conven- 
tion for  many  years,  to  witness  a  large  increase  of  Con- 
vention funds,  and  to  bear  an  increasing  weight  of  re- 
sponsibility. 

Rev.  E.  Cushman,  chosen  Secretary,  held  the  office 
for  one  year,  and  after  being  succeeded  for  two  years  by 
Rev.  J.  S.  Savage,  was  returned  to  the  office,  which  he 
held  and  adorned  for  a  quarter  of  a  century.  Our  time 
to  write  of  him  will  come  later. 

The  Report  of  the  Board  of  Trustees. 

This  was  read  by  the  retiring  Secretary,  J.  S.  Eaton. 
Twelve  churches  had  been  helped  to  the  amount  of 
$328.47.  In  pursuing  the  missionary  work  the  plan  of 
the  Board  had  been  to  concentrate  their  efforts  upon 
some  particular  section.  The  field  selected  had  been 
Cornwall  and  vicinity.  Brother  N.  E.  Shailer  had  labored 
there,  at  first  under  very  great  discouragements,  but  he 
was  at  last  permitted  to  witness  the  manifestations  of 
God's  gracious  favor.  Meetings  were  held  daily  for 
several  weeks.  Sixty-seven  were  baptized,  a  church  had 
been  constituted  at  Cornwall  Hollow  with  seventy-four 
members,  and  a  house  of  worship  was  being  erected. 
Brother  Shailer  was  assisted  by  Rev.  A.  D.  Watrous. 

The  death  of  the  Rev.  J.  H.  Linsley  was  announced, 
and  resolutions  of  condolence  were  passed,  but  no  account 
of  his  life  is  given.  As  Rev.  Eugenio  Kincaid  was  home 
from  Burma,  the  Board  was  directed  to  secure  his  ser- 
vices to  visit  the  churches  of  the  state. 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION        57 

1845.  The  twenty-second  annual  meeting  was  held  in 
New  London,  June  10-12.     Rev.  J.  S.  Swan  was 

chosen  President,  Rev.  J.  S.  Savage,  Secretary,  and  Bro- 
ther Wareham  Griswold,  Treasurer. 

A  Step  in  Advance. 

The  report  of  the  Board,  presented  by  the  Secretary, 
Rev.  E.  Cushman,  says:  "Last  year  the  entire  amount 
reported  as  expended  for  state  missions  was  less  than 
$300.  This  year  we  are  permitted  to  report  the  ap- 
propriation of  $1,031.64,  exclusive  of  the  amount  ex- 
pended by  one  or  two  county  societies."  The  Board  suc- 
ceeded in  engaging  the  entire  services  of  Rev.  N.  E. 
Shailer  at  a  salary  of  $400  per  year  and  traveling  ex- 
penses. A  part  of  his  time  had  been  spent  in  collecting 
funds,  and  the  remainder  in  exploring  destitute  regions 
and  counselling  and  assisting  feeble  bands  of  disciples. 
The  new  church  building  at  Cornwall  Hollow  had  been 
finished  free  from  all  encumbrance. 

Rev.  Mr.  Atwater  had  done  work  as  a  missionary  in 
Fairfield  county,  and  two  or  three  others  whose  names 
are  not  given  had  labored  in  other  portions  of  the  state, 
though  not  sent  out  by  the  Board.  Nineteen  churches 
had  been  aided  at  a  cost  of  $505.  Four  new  churches  were 
received  into  the  fellowship  of  the  Convention,  Mont- 
ville  Union,  Noank,  Greenville  and  Torrington  (old). 
Mention  was  made  of  the  death  of  Rev.  W.  G.  Miller, 
pastor  of  the  Essex  church. 

The  reports  of  the  various  committees  on  State  Mis- 
sions, Home  and  Foreign  Missions,  and  Bible  Society 
were  of  unusual  interest  and  elicited  a  good  deal  of  dis- 
cussion. At  the  close  of  the  minutes  the  Secretary  char- 
acterizes this  session  as  "one  of  the  most  harmonious, 
profitable  and  highly  devotional  sessions"  the  Conven- 
tion has  ever  held. 

1846.  The   twenty-third   annual   meeting  was   held   at 
Hartford,  June  9-11.     Rev.  Jabez  S.  Swan  was 

President,  Rev.  J.  S.  Savage,  Secretary,  and  Wareham 
Griswold,  Treasurer. 


58  HISTORY  OF  THE 

The  Report  of  the  Board  of  Trustees. 

The  expectations  of  the  Board  had  been  raised  by  the 
increase  of  funds  last  year.  They  had  cherished  the  hope 
of  employing  two  state  missionaries,  but  they  had  found 
themselves  unable  to  do  so  for  want  of  sufficient  money. 
Brother  Shailer  had  worked  alone,  but  very  acceptably 
and  successfully.  Three  hundred  and  ninety  dollars  had 
been  distributed  in  aid  to  seventeen  churches,  and  Brother 
Shailer  had  been  paid  $473.56. 

Meeting-house  Stock. 

The  Board,  or  the  Secretary  In  its  behalf,  says  in  this 
report:  "The  present  year  has  been  a  year  unparalleled 
for  drafts  on  the  churches  in  this  state  in  taking  up  meet- 
ing-house stock  abroad,  which  in  the  estimation  of  the 
Board  is  a  growing  evil  and  an  increasing  hindrance  to 
the  missionary  work,  tending  most  fearfully  to  dry  up  the 
fountains  of  benevolence  among  Christians."  Now  help- 
ing other  churches  to  pay  their  debts  is  not  "a  hindrance 
to  missions,"  rather  is  it  a  help;  nor  can  it  "dry  up  the 
fountains  of  benevolence,"  but  on  the  other  hand  will 
open  those  fountains.  The  singular  phrase  which  the 
Secretary  uses,  "taking  up  meeting-house  stock,"  coupled 
with  the  charges  he  brings  against  the  practice,  implies 
that  the  custom  prevailed  for  churches  in  debt  to  borrow 
money  from  brethren  and  give  promissory  notes  bearing 
tempting  interest.  If  such  was  the  case  the  lending  of 
such  money  was  a  very  sorry  travesty  of  benevolence,  and 
of  very  doubtful  benefit  to  the  borrower.  It  is  possible, 
however,  that  we  are  misinterpreting  the  language  used. 

Proportionate  Giving. 

In  the  report  of  the  Board,  as  frequently  In  later  re- 
ports, the  perplexing  problem  presents  Itself,  "how  to 
educate  the  churches  in  proportionate  giving.  It  is  not  at 
all  that  the  Boards  grudge  the  larger  amounts  given  to 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION        59 

Home  and  Foreign  Missions.  From  the  time  of  its  in- 
ception the  Convention  has  done  all  in  its  power  to  stimu- 
late that  benev^olence.  It  is  sometimes  forgotten  that  the 
Home  Mission  Society  as  a  national  enterprise  has  the 
whole  Baptist  membership  for  its  constituency.  And 
under  the  vast  claims  of  Foreign  Missions  the  whole 
Christian  world  stands  pledged  to  carry  the  Gospel  to  all 
nations.  But  what  is  done  for  Connecticut  must  be  done 
by  its  own  people. 

Ordination  of  a  Missionary. 

At  the  suggestion  of  the  Executive  Committee  of 
the  American  Baptist  Missionary  Union,  and  with 
the  sanction  of  the  church  of  which  he  was  a  mem- 
ber, Brother  Erasmus  M.  Jencks  came  before  the 
Convention  and  asked  for  ordination.  The  Con- 
vention resolved  itself  into  an  ecclesiastical  coun- 
cil, and  after  having  fully  examined  the  candidate 
and  declared  itself  satisfied,  proceeded  to  a  pub- 
lic service  of  ordination.  Brother  Jencks  was  under 
appointment  to  the  foreign  field.  This  very  unusual  ser- 
vice added  great  interest  to  this  meeting  of  the  Conven- 
tion. Mr.  Jencks  was  sent  to  Bangkok,  but  after  a  itvf 
months  returned  to  the  United  States  on  account  of  the 
illness  of  his  wife.    His  subsequent  history  is  unknown. 

1847.     The  twenty-fourth  annual  meeting  was  held  with 
the  church  in  Deep  River,  June  8-10.     Rev.  R. 
Turnbull   was   President,   Rev.   E.   Cushman,   Secretary, 
and  Wareham  Griswold,  Treasurer. 

The  Board  reported  that  thirteen  churches  had  shared 
the  benefactions  of  the  Convention  in  amounts  varying 
from  twenty  to  fifty  dollars.  Rev.  N.  E.  Shailer,  the  de- 
voted missionary,  had  been  ill  for  some  months.  To  sup- 
ply his  lack  of  service  the  Board  had  engaged  Rev.  D. 
D.  Lyon,  who  had  been  indefatigable  in  labor. 

Efforts  Made  at  Collinsville. 

What  seemed  at  the  time  a  promising  beginning  to- 
ward forming  a  Baptist  church  was  made  this  year  at 


60  HISTORY  OF  THE 

Collinsville.  The  Collinsville  Manufacturing  Company 
had  tendered  the  use  of  a  comrnodious  hall.  Rev.  Lester 
Lewis  was  appointed  by  the  Board  to  labor  there,  and  a 
good  sized  congregation  was  gathered.  The  work  was 
continued  with  much  acceptance  by  Rev.  C.  H.  Topliff. 
No  church  was  formed,  however,  and  after  about  two 
years  the  work  was  abandoned. 

An  Effort  That  Succeeded. 

It  was  during  this  year  that  Rev.  D.  D.  Lyon  began  a 
work  in  the  village  of  Wilkinson,  formerly  known  as 
"Pomfret  Factories."  A  few  brethren  were  recognized 
as  a  branch  of  the  Fomfret  church,  and  measures  were 
already  in  train  for  the  erection  of  a  house  of  worship. 
This  church  has  rapidly  grown  since  Wilkinson  has  been 
changed  to  Putnam.  The  Putnam  church  has  long  been 
recognized  as  one  of  our  strongest  churches,  and  its  pas- 
tors and  laymen  have  been  among  our  most  useful  and 
honored  workers.  We  see  the  wisdom  of  this  movement 
of  preempting  the  flourishing  village  as  a  field  for  Bap- 
tist work  and  providing  for  a  successor  to  the  Pomfret 
church,  which  was  so  soon  to  become  depleted  and  vanish 
away. 

//  Second  Mention   of  Immigration. 

In  a  report  on  Home  Missions  presented  by  Dr.  A.  G. 
Palmer,  we  find  the  second  mention  of  the  perils  to  the 
country  attending  the  rapid  flow  of  immigrants.  "In  ad- 
dition to  this,  the  unparalleled  immigration  from  the  old 
world,  the  unevangelized  masses  daily  thrown  upon  our 
shores,  the  fearful  combination  of  influences  equally 
hostile  to  our  civil  and  religious  institutions,  the  bold 
and  threatening  attitude  of  the  man  of  sin,  the  ever- 
widening  extent  of  territory  to  be  occupied — all  these 
are  but  so  many  indications  of  Divine  Providence  com- 
mending the  work  of  Home  Missions  to  our  warmest 
sympathies  and  prayers." 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION        61 

We  are  soon  to  become  familiar  with  these  earnest 
pleas  for  the  conversion  of  the  foreigners  among  us.  But 
it  will  be  noticed  that  the  danger  and  the  duty  seem  as  yet 
remote  from  New  England.  It  is  all  in  the  Far  West. 
There  is  no  suggestion  of  taking  up  the  work  in  Con- 
necticut.   Yet  the  hour  of  opportunity  had  already  struck. 

1848.  The  twenty-fifth  anniversary  was  held  with  the 
church  in  Suffield.  Rev.  Dwight  Ives  was  Presi- 
dent, Rev.  E.  Cushman,  Secretary,  and  Brother  Ware- 
ham  Griswold,  Treasurer. 

For  a  part  of  the  time  the  Board  had  employed  three 
missionaries,  Rev.  N.  E.  Shailer,  Rev.  D.  D.  Lyon  and 
Rev.  A.  D.  Watrous. 

The  labors  of  Brother  Lyon  in  North  Ashford  had  re- 
sulted in  the  formation  of  a  new  church  in  what  was  then 
known  as  Pompey  Hollow,  but  afterwards  as  South  Cen- 
ter Ashford.  This  church  was  to  be  established  on 
"thorough  temperance  principles,  as  well  as  upon  Gospel 
lines." 

The  Church  in  Seymour. 

The  report  of  the  Board  gives  an  account  of  the  "suc- 
cessful effort"  of  Rev.  N.  E.  Shailer  to  establish  a  church 
in  Humphreysville.  The  report  says:  "We  regard  this 
as  one  of  the  most  important  points  we  have  ever  under- 
taken to  occupy,  and  as  the  good  providence  of  God  so 
ordered  events  that  the  services  of  Brother  William  Deni- 
son  could  be  secured  as  pastor  of  this  new  interest,  we 
have  taken  the  responsibility  of  pledging  his  support  for 
one  year."  As  Humphreysville  was  later  known  as  Sey- 
mour, and  Seymour  has  continued  to  grow  to  this  day 
(1908),  we  can  easily  see  the  good  Providence  of  God 
that  led  to  the  planting  of  this  church.  But  it  is  not  by 
any  means  so  easy  to  interpret  the  unfortunate  events 
that  led  so  soon  to  the  abandonment  of  an  enterprise 
which  looked  so  hopeful.  It  is  not  so  easy  to  see  how  the 
failure  of  the  enterprise  could  have  been  of  God;  pos- 


62  HISTORY  OF  THE 

sibly  it  resulted  from  want  of  funds  at  a  critical  stage. 
Even  at  that  early  period,  in  a  community  in  which  other 
evangelical  churches,  Congregational,  Methodist  and 
Episcopalian,  were  already  fairly  entrenched,  a  Baptist 
church  could  not  be  established  without  heroic  strug- 
gle for  a  period  of  years.  There  would  be  no  justification 
for  a  new  church  to  seek  a  field  in  such  a  place  if  the 
Increasing  population  did  not  fully  warrant  an  increase 
in  the  number  of  churches.  Just  those  conditions  did 
prevail.  We  can  trace  one  good  result  from  the  effort 
made.  Mr.  Beach,  who  had  joined  the  young  Interest 
in  Seymour,  transferred  his  membership  to  Ansonia 
when  the  church  in  that  place  was  started,  and  was  a 
very  valuable  member  for  many  years. 

A  Change  of  Policy. 

It  Is  manifest  from  the  reports  of  this  and  the  fol- 
lowing year  that  the  Board  was  changing  its  policy.  In 
this  year  and  in  1849  appropriations  for  assistance  were 
made  to  only  four  churches,  whereas  in  the  past  from 
ten  to  twenty  such  churches  had  been  aided.  Yet  the 
churches  had  contributed  much  larger  sums  than  former- 
ly. The  Board  says:  "Several  other  churches  have  made 
application,  but  your  Board  deem  it  inexpedient  to  acceed 
to  these  requests.  .  .  Some  of  these  churches  have 
received  aid  for  a  succession  of  years,  and  with  regard 
to  most  of  them,  it  seems  to  us  their  condition  was  such 
that  no  pecuniary  assistance  which  we  could  have  con- 
sistently offered  would  have  added  materially  to  their 
strength.  What  precisely  is  the  proper  course  to  pursue 
may  be  a  question  deserving  the  special  consideration  of 
the  Convention." 

This  question  has  been  repeatedly  coming  up  for  dis- 
cussion at  all  our  meetings.  If  not  presented  in  the  re- 
ports of  the  Board,  it  is  always  heard  on  the  floor:  "Shall 
we  continue  indefinitely  these  so  small  gifts  to  the 
churches — so  small  severally,  yet  amounting  to  so  much  In 
the  aggregate — so  small  that  if  a  church  can  support  itself 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION        63 

with  them,  it  would  seem  that  with  only  a  little  more 
effort  it  could  do  without  them?  Or  shall  we  devote  all 
our  energies  to  the  support  of  preachers  and  evangelists, 
both  as  helpers  to  the  pastors  and  as  pioneers  in  unoc- 
cupied fields?"  These  are  some  of  the  questions  which 
are  constantly  raised,  and  which  are  not  yet  definitely 
settled. 

It  would  be  going  beyond  his  proVince  for  a  mere 
chronicler  of  events  to  give  his  opinions.  Still  the  writer 
presumes  so  far  as  to  say  that  the  most  satisfactory  re- 
cord of  the  Convention  is  where  it  has  taken  up  in 
earnest  the  planting  and  nourishing  of  a  new  church  in 
some  growing  town,  or  some  neglected  portion  of  a  city 
and  pushed  the  work  to  success.  The  Board  of  1848 
answered  the  question  by  giving  $105  to  churches  and 
spending  $1,306  in  support  of  missionary  evangelists. 

1849.     llie  twenty-sixth  anniversary  was  held  with  the 
church  in  Bristol.      Rev.  Harvey  Miller  was  the 
President,   Rev.  E.   Cushman,  Secretary,   and  Wareham 
Griswold,  Treasurer. 

Report  of  the  Board  of  Trustees. 

This  report,  like  twenty  others  that  followed  it,  was 
written  by  the  faithful  secretary  who  had  done,  and 
continued  to  do  such  excellent  service  for  the  Convention 
as  editor  of  the  Christian  Secretary.  The  report  says 
in  part:  "Our  plan  during  the  past  year  has  been  to 
assist  and  strengthen  by  direct  missionary  labor  some  of 
the  feeble  churches  which  have  been  accustomed  to  re- 
ceive aid.  .  .  The  efforts  of  the  missionaries,  N.  E. 
Shailer  and  D.  D.  Lyon,  in  Clinton  and  Branford  have 
met  with  good  success.  Quite  a  number  have  been  added 
to  the  churches,  debts  have  been  materially  lessened,  and 
better  methods  instituted  for  raising  money  for  expenses 
and  benevolence.  It  is  thought  that  these  churches  will 
in  the  future  be  independent  of  the  Convention.  Rev. 
D.  D.  Lyon  has  been  preaching  for  two  months  in  Rock- 


64  HISTORY  OF  THE 

vllle,   a   society  has  been  formed,   and  $250  have  been 
subscribed  for  the  maintenance  of  worship." 

Beginning  Work  at  Fair  Haven. 

Of  Fair  Haven  as  a  promising  field  for  the  planting  of 
a  new  church  the  report  says:  "This  village*  has  a 
population  of  three  thousand.  Among  them  are  thirty 
Baptist  members.  The  accommodations  for  public  wor- 
ship furnished  by  other  churches  are  far  too  limited  for 
the  wants  of  the  community.  A  new  hall  in  a  central  lo- 
cation can  be  obtained,  and  as  one  brother  has  offered  to 
pay  one  half  of  the  expense,  it  seems  quite  desirable  that 
the  position  should  be  occupied  if  possible." 

This  certainly  was  a  most  propitious  opening,  but  the 
writer  cannot  say  just  how  much  was  attempted  at  that 
time.  The  hall  may  have  been  secured  and  occasional 
and  desultory  services  may  have  been  held,  but  the  church 
was  not  organized  until  1871,  twenty-two  years  after  this 
first  door  of  hope  was  opened  and  then  suffered  to  be 
closed.  The  expenditure  of  a  few  hundred  dollars  in 
1849,  followed  by  assistance  for  four  or  five  years,  would 
have  enabled  the  Baptists  to  establish  themselv^es  on  a 
footing  somewhat  like  that  of  the  other  churches.  When 
the  work  was  finally  entered  upon  the  village  had  been 
made  a  part  of  New  Haven  and  there  were  two  Con- 
gregational churches,  two  Episcopal,  one  Methodist  and 
a  large  Catholic  church,  all  firmly  established  and  having 
large  and  attractive  houses  of  worship. 

There  is  reason  to  believe  that  one  prevailing  cause 
for  the  long  delay — the  frost  that  nipped  the  tender 
blade — was  the  timidity  or  short-sighted  jealousy  of  the 
New  Haven  church,  which  made  it  unwilling  to  dismiss 
a  handful  of  its  members.  This,  coupled  with  the  re- 
luctance of  the  brethren  of  Fair  Haven  to  assume  burdens 
which  they  feared  they  might  be  left  to  bear  alone,  re- 
sulted in  a  regrettable  failure  to  grasp  the  golden  oppor- 
tunity.    We  know  that  these  considerations  often  have 

*Not  then  incorporated  with  the  city  of  New  Haven. 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION        65 

proved  obstacles  to  the  best  progress  of  the  kingdom. 
The  brethren  concerned  have  had  a  zeal  for  the  Individual 
church,  but  too  little  interest  in  the  larger  affairs  of  the 
denomination. 

First  Aid  to  the  Colored  Churches. 

This  year  witnessed  the  beginning  of  aid  to  the  colored 
churches  in  the  state.  The  two  that  were  aided  were 
the  Third  church,  Stonington,  and  the  Immanuel  church, 
first  known  as  the  Zion  church,  New  Haven. 

The  Third  Stonington  received  aid  only  five  times,  to 
the  total  amount  of  $55.  It  has  not  at  any  time  been  a 
strong  church,  but  it  has  been  and  still  is  a  quiet,  staid, 
conservative,  self-respecting  body.  Only  at  intervals  have 
its  good  people  been  able  to  support  a  pastor,  but  they 
rdways  maintain  the  Sabbath  service,  the  Bible-school  and 
the  mid-week  prayer  meeting.  They  seldom  forget  an 
annual  offering  to  the  Convention. 

The  New  Haven  Immanuel  has  had  a  checkered  career. 
It  has  received  aid  in  sixteen  grants,  amounting  to  $1,195. 
It  has  for  several  years  given  a  very  good  account  of 
itself.  It  has  a  good  house  of  worship  on  West  Chapel 
Street  and  its  membership  is  now  (1907)  540.  Its  able 
pastor,  Rev.  A.  C.  Powell,  D.D.,  has  been  with  it  for 
fourteen  years. 

The  Treasurer  reported  a  balance  from  last  year  of 
$307.05;  receipts  from  all  sources,  $1,256.05;  expendi- 
tures, $1,483.02. 

Two  new  churches  were  admitted  to  the  Convention, 
Huntington  Street,  New  London,  and  South  Colebrook. 


66  HISTORY  OF  THE 


Chapter  V. 

i8^o-i8^g. 

The  minutes  of  the  Convention  during  this  decade  con- 
tinue on  the  same  general  plan  as  before.  The  Rev.  E, 
Cushman  retains  the  office  of  Secretary,  and  Deacon 
Wareham  Griswold  that  of  Treasurer.  It  is  impossible 
to  overestimate  the  value  to  the  Convention  of  the  ef- 
ficient service  gratuitously  rendered  by  these  officers.  The 
following  committees  were  appointed  each  year:  on  State 
Missions,  Foreign  Missions,  Home  Missions,  Bible 
Cause,  and  Publication  Society.  The  reports  of  these 
several  committees  and  the  discussions  following  them 
occupy  a  large  portion  of  the  printed  minutes. 

The  Convention  Treasurer  not  only  continued  to  re- 
port the  receipts  and  disbursements  of  the  Convention, 
but  also  undertook  to  report  the  moneys  contributed  to 
the  various  missions.  This  was  a  difficult  task,  as  little 
of  the  money  actually  passed  through  his  hands,  although 
he  required  vouchers.  The  practice  was  afterwards  dis- 
continued. 

We  have  used  the  later  adopted  term  State  Missions, 
instead  of  the  term  "Domestic  Missions,"  the  latter  of 
which  has  sometimes  been  confused  in  the  minds  of  the 
brethren  with  Home  Missions,  and  its  use  has  resulted  in 
the  loss  of  some  legacies. 

1850.     The  Convention  met  with  the  First  church,  Hart- 
ford,   Rev.    R.    Turnbull,    pastor.      Rev.    S.    D. 
Phelps,  D.D.,  was  chosen  President. 

The  Report  of  the  Board.  ' 

Brethren  N.  E.  Shailer,  William  Denison  and  D.  D. 
Lyon  had  continued  in  the  service  of  the  Board.     "The 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION        bl 

deliberations  of  the  Board  at  all  their  meetings  have  been 
attended  with  much  perplexity,  owing  to  the  tardy  influx 
of  funds  into  the  treasury.  Our  missionaries  have  been 
so  occupied  that  they  could  not  devote  much  time  to  the 
collecting  of  money.  Up  to  this  time  not  one  half  of 
the  amount  recommended  by  the  Convention  and  ap- 
portioned among  the  churches,  has  been  paid  in."  Dur- 
ing this  session  funds  were  received  nearly  sufficient  to 
meet  the  appropriations.  Referring  to  the  work  that  had 
been  proposed  in  Fair  Haven  the  report  says:  "Among 
the  places  visited  we  may  mention  the  village  of  Fair 
Haven  which,  it  will  be  recollected,  was  referred  to  in 
our  last  report  as  presenting  a  fav'orable  opening  for  a 
Baptist  interest.  Upon  further  inquiry  and  inspection, 
however,  the  circumstances  were  found  far  less  encourag- 
ing than  had  been  supposed,  and  up  to  this  time  your 
Board  have  not  felt  warranted  in  making  any  further 
outlay  for  the  establishment  of  a  church  in  that  village." 
At  the  same  time  the  church  in  Newtown  was  helped  in 
the  building  of  a  new  house  and  the  church  in  Gaylord's 
Bridge  was  received  into  the  fellowship  of  the  Conven- 
tion. Well,  wisdom  after  the  event  is  a  worthless  asset  in 
the  kingdom.  We  can  only  act  according  to  our  best 
light  at  the  time,  and  leave  the  issue  with  Him  who 
knows. 

The  interest  in  Rockville  was  found  to  be  hopeful 
under  the  ministry  of  Rev.  D.  D.  Lyon.  Several  baptisms 
had  occurred,  and  a  sum  of  $1,400  had  been  secured  to- 
wards a  church  edifice.  The  church  in  Northville  had 
been  greatly  helped  in  a  series  of  meetings  held  by  Mis- 
sionaries Shailer  and  Lvon.  Five  churches  had  received 
aid  to  the  amount  of  $1  60. 

Pecuniary  Aid  to  Churches. 

In  the  report  on  State  Missions  made  by  Rev.  C.  Wil- 
let  the  following  statement  occurs :  "While  we  would  not 
recommend  the  abandonment  of  the  plan  of  aiding  as  we 
may  be  able,  hopeful  churches  in  sustaining  the  admin- 


68  HISTORY  OF  THE 

Istratlon  of  the  Word  and  ordinances  among  them,  we  do 
think  that  the  comparative  results  of  the  former  and  the 
present  system  ought  to  satisfy  every  one  that  to  give  up 
the  missionaries  and  distribute  all  the  funds  among  the 
churches  would  be  to  remove  the  chief  glory  from  our 
operations,  therefore 

"Resolved,  That  we  recom.mend  to  the  new  Board  to 
pursue  with  diligence  the  system  of  the  last  few  years, 
combining  Avith  the  labors  of  faithful  missionaries'  aid  to 
promising  churches,  however  feeble." 

In  the  former  years  fifteen  or  twenty  churches  had  been 
aided  each  year;  in  the  last  few  years  only  four  or  five. 
^et  it  must  be  remembered  that  many  of  the  other 
churches  had  profited  much  by  the  visits  and  counsels  and 
evangelistic  labors  of  the  missionaries,  gifts  better  than  of 
"silver  and  gold." 

Foreign  Missions. 

The  able  report  on  foreign  missions  was  presented  by 
Rev.  J.  N.  Murdock,  at  that  time  pastor  of  the  South 
church,  Hartford.  Dr.  Murdock  was  afterwards  for 
many  years  one  of  the  Secretaries  of  the  American  Bap- 
tist Missionary  Union. 

Dr.  Ives  of  Suffield  offered  the  following  resolution, 
which  was  adopted: 

Whereas,  Our  beloved  Brother  and  Sister  Vinton  are 
soon  to  leave  us  to  return  to  their  toils  and  labors  among 
the  Karens,  that  people  so  eminently  prepared  of  the 
Lord  to  receive  the  Gospel, 

Resolved,  That  as  members  of  this  Convention  we 
recognize  with  devout  gratitude  the  distinguishing  grace 
of  God  conferred  on  them  and  on  us,  in  calling  them 
from  among  us  to  this  holy  work,  for  the  eminent  suc- 
cess which  has  crowned  their  labors,  for  the  sweet  inter- 
course enjoyed  with  them  during  their  visit,  in  our  public 
meetings  and  in  our  families,  for  the  conversion  to  God 
of  both  their  dear  children,  and  for  the  invigorated 
health  with  which  they  return  to  their  field  of  labor.    We 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVTZNTION         69 

hereby  tender  to  them  assurance  of  our  confidence  and 
esteem,  and  pledge  them  our  prayers  and  cooperation. 

The  Vintons  were  members  of  the  church  on  Willing- 
ton  Hill.  They  filled  out  a  long  term  of  service  in  Burma, 
and  their  children  followed  in  their  steps.  Their  grand- 
children are  in  the  field  today  among  our  most  honored 
missionaries. 

The  Treasurer  had  received  from  all  sources: 

For  State  Missions, $,1,677.44 

For  Foreign  Missions,    5,115.78 

For  Home   Missions,    775.69 

Bible  Society,   723.35 

Publication  Society,    91.30 

Total,   $8,383.56 

1851.  The  twenty-eighth  annual  meeting  was  held  with 
the  church  in  Stonington  Borough,  June  10-12. 
Rev.  E.  T.  Hiscox  was  President,  Rev.  E.  Cushman, 
Secretary,  and  Wareham  Griswold,  Treasurer.  Among 
the  visitors  who  were  registered,  besides  the  ofliclal 
representatives  of  the  national  societies,  we  find  the 
names  of  J.  M.  Haswell,  Maulmain;  A.  Waring,  Hayti, 
W^.  I.,  and  M.  J.  Gonsalves  of  the  Portuguese  Mission. 
Our  brethren  continued  to  keep  in  touch  with  the  "ends 
of  the  earth." 

Report  of  the  Board. 

Brethren  N.  E.  Shailer,  William  Denison  and  D.  D. 
Lyon  had  been  reappointed.  Brother  Lyon  had  accepted 
a  call  to  Jewett  City;  the  other  brethren  had  served 
through  the  year.  Brother  Denison  had  continued  his 
labors  in  Humphreysville  (Seymour),  and  had  secured 
$2,200  towards  building  a  house  of  worship  which  was 
then  approaching  completion.  He  had  rendered  valuable 
aid  in  Newtown,  Branford,  Greenville,  Canton  and  Plain- 
ville.     Appropriations  amounting  to  $525  were  made  to 


70  HISTORY  OF  THE 

six  churches.  These  six  churches  fulfilled  the  condition 
imposed  upon  the  Board  by  the  vote  of  the  Convention, 
that  churches  aided  should  have  a  "hopeful  outlook,"  for 
they  all  abide  to  this  day.  Yet  four  out  of  the  six  are 
numbered  among  our  aided  churches  after  the  lapse  of 
fifty-six  years.  A  legacy  of  $1,264.50  was  received  from 
J      Miss  Rhoda  Cook,  late  of  Hartford. 

Seven   Years'  Retrospect. 

"It  is  now  somewhat  over  seven  years  since  we  have 
been  steadily  pursuing  our  present  system  of  missionary 
operations,  and  through  the  blessing  of  God  we  are  per- 
mitted to  reckon  the  following  among  the  results.  New 
churches  have  been  constituted  at  Cornwall  Hollow, 
Pleasant  Valley,  Brookfield,  Wilkinson,  Ashford, 
Humphreysville  and  Rockville,  all  of  which  we  believe 
are  adv^ancing,  and  some  of  them  in  quite  prosperous  cir- 
cumstances. New  houses  of  worship  have  been  built  or 
provided  for,  or  in  progress,  in  each  of  these  places,  be- 
sides one  in  Newtown  and  one  in  Colebrook,  making 
in  all  nine  new  meeting-houses.  Five  or  six  churches  have 
been,  as  we  may  say,  effectually  assisted  and  relieved  from 
long-standing  embarrassments." 

1852.      The  twenty-ninth  annual  meeting  was  held  with 
the  First  church.  New  Haven.      Rev.  Jabez  S. 
Swan  was  chosen  President,  Rev.  E.  Cushman,  Secretary, 
and  Wareham  Griswold,  Treasurer. 

Report  of  the  Board. 

"Your  Board  during  the  past  year  have  continued  their 
efforts  upon  essentially  the  same  system  as  for  the  seven 
previous  years.  Brethren  Shailer  and  Denison  have  re- 
tained their  commissions,  and  although  as  heretofore  we 
cannot  report  in  detail,  we  can  say  they  have  continued 
faithful,  laborious  and  efficient.  A  large  portion  of 
Brother  Shailer's  time  was  devoted  to  the  young  interest 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION         71 

in  Plainville.  This  enterprise  lias  succeeded  beyond  our 
expectation,  a  church  has  been  organized,  a  house  of 
worship  erected  and  Rev.  P.  G.  Wightman  settled  as  pas- 
tor. The  labors  of  Brother  Denison  at  Humphreysville 
have  been  successful.  The  church  edifice  has  been  com- 
pleted, twenty-three  have  been  added  to  the  church, 
and  Rev.  William  Goodwin  settled  as  pastor."  The 
church  in  Greenville,  now  known  as  Third  Nor- 
wich, was  heavily  in  debt  and  threatened  with  fore- 
closure on  its  property.  By  the  help  of  the  missionaries 
enough  money  was  raised  to  avert  this  disaster.  Aid  was 
granted  to  seven  churches,  $215  to  all. 

The  "Olive  Branch  Baptist  Society,  Colebrook  River," 
was  received  into  the  fellowship  of  the  Convention.  We 
believe  there  was,  for  a  few  years,  a  church  called  the 
"Colebrook  River  Church,"  but  we  find  no  further  refer- 
ence to  it  in  the  minutes.  The  peaceful  name  adopted  by 
the  brethren  was  the  outcome  of  dissension,  and  it  might 
better  have  been  called  a  "breach"  than  a  "branch." 

The  meetings  of  the  Conv^ention  were  increasing  in  at- 
tendance and  interest.  There  was  also  a  growing  demand 
for  the  minutes,  which  recorded  the  transactions  of  the 
auxiliary  societies,  as  well  as  those  of  the  Convention. 
This  year  the  Convention  ordered  the  printing  of  eight 
hundred  copies  instead  of  the  four  hundred  which  they 
had  usually  printed.     The  Treasurer  reported: 

For  Foreign  Missions,    $3,867.82 

For  Home   Missions,    1,712.08 

For  State   Missions,    1,420.00 

For  Bible  Society,   529.89 

Publication  Society,    75.00 

Total, $7,604.79 

1853.     The  thirtieth  annual  meeting  was  held  with  the 
Central   church,   Norwich.      Rev.  William   Reid 
was  President,  Rev.  E.  Cushman,  Secretary,  and  Ware- 
ham  Griswold,  Treasurer, 


72  HISTORY  OF  THE 

Report  of  the  Board. 

"The  past  year  has  not  been  as  fruitful  of  Immediate 
and  obviously  cheering  results  as  some  previous  years. 
Yet  it  would  be  a  hast)^  judgment  to  pronounce  it  there- 
fore an  unprofitable  year.  .  .  The  applications  for 
aid  have  been  more  numerous  and  pressing  than  usual, 
and  we  have  endeavored  to  meet  them  according  to  the 
urgency  of  the  cases.  Eleven  churches  have  received  aid 
to  the  amount  of  $390."  The  report  gives  a  detailed 
account  of  the  labors  of  the  two  missionaries,  Brethren 
Shailer  and  Denison.  A  beginning  had  been  made  in  the 
town  of  Stirling  which  gave  promise  of  success  in  the 
building  of  a  new  house  of  worship. 

A  Pessimistic  View. 

We  insert  an  extract  from  a  strong  but  discouraging 
report  on  State  Missions  made  by  Pastor  William  Reid 
of  Bridgeport: 

"It  is  not  wisdom  to  shut  our  eyes  to  the  fact  that  few, 
very  few,  new  churches  of  great  promise  have  been 
gathered  during  the  last  few  years,  while  many  of  our 
feeble  churches  are  lingering  on  in  a  poor  condition, 
growing  weaker,  their  congregations  smaller,  their  sup- 
ply of  preaching  more  uncertain,  and  the  sense  of  dis- 
couragement increasing.  .  .  Our  last  minutes  give 
the  names  of  one  hundred  and  sixteen  churches.  Forty-two 
of  these  gave  nothing  to  any  of  the  objects  of  the  Conven- 
tion, only  seventeen  gave  over  $100  each  to  all  these 
objects.  .  .  It  is  also  true  that  feeble  churches  are 
multiplying  more  than  efficient  ones.  Does  it  not  become 
us  more  fully  to  count  the  cost  in  planting  churches  and 
encouraging  them  to  build  meeting-houses?" 

Many  a  subsequent  report,  and  many  a  voice  from  the 
floor,  has  deplored  the  same  facts  and  uttered  the  same 
note  of  despondency.  But  it  will  be  recognized  that  these 
are  partial  if  not  misleading  statements  and  unbelieving 
fears.    There  are  many  unsuccessful  business  enterprises, 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION         73 

but  while  individuals  suffer,  the  larger  affairs  of  business 
move  on.  The  work  of  the  Convention  confronts  con- 
stantly changing  conditions.  If  in  the  exercise  of 
an  infallible  judgment,  which  is  itself  a  chimera, 
only  such  churches  had  been  established,  and  such 
churches  encouraged  to  live  as  gave  certain  promise 
of  growth  and  permanence,  what  would  have  been 
the  result?  Many  of  the  country  districts  would 
have  been  utterly  destitute  of  the  means  of  grace, 
and  people  for  whom  Christ  died  as  truly  as  he 
did  for  the  denizens  of  our  populous  villages  and 
cities,  or  for  the  heathen,  would  have  perished  in 
their  sins.  This  also  would  have  happened :  that  our 
larger  churches  would  have  been  the  poorer  for  the 
absence  of  that  large  number  of  virile  Christian  men  and 
devoted  Christian  women,  country-bred  and  nurtured  in 
these  country  churches,  who  in  the  pulpits  and  in  the  pews 
have  been  the  stay  and  strength  of  our  city  churches. 
That  the  Convention  has  never  stopped  its  ears  to  the 
Macedonian  cry  from  the  thinly-peopled  districts  of  our 
state,  this  is  its  glory.  It  has  put  in  practice  the  words 
of  the  Master,  "When  thou  makest  a  feast  call  in  the 
poor  and  the  needy  that  cannot  recompense  thee." 

1854.  The  thirty-first  annual  meeting  was  held  with  the 
South  church,  Hartford,  June  13.  Rev.  J.  N. 
Murdock  was  President,  Rev.  E.  Cushman,  Secretary, 
and  Wareham  Griswold,  Treasurer.  Sixty-three  churches 
were  represented  by  one  hundred  and  three  delegates, 
and  eighteen  societies  by  one  delegate  each. 

Report  of  the  Board. 

Eight  churches  had  received  aid  to  the  amount  of 
$511.75.  Tariffville,  Rockville  and  Humphreysville  had 
each  been  paid  one  hundred  dollars.  The  report  says  of 
these  churches  that  they  had  by  various  circumstances 
been  laid  under  an  unusual  pressure  of  embarrassment. 
In  Tariffville  a  large  manufacturing  establishment  had 


74  HISTORY  OF  THE 

failed.  At  Rockville  also  there  had  been  business  de- 
pression. At  Humphreysville  the  church  was  still  feeble 
and  the  outlook  disheartening,  yet  the  Board  was  reluct- 
ant to  give  up  the  project.  The  church  in  Greenville 
had  lost  its  house  by  fire,  but  good  progress  had  already 
been  made  in  rebuilding.  The  missionaries,  N.  E.  Shailer 
and  William  Denison  had  continued  their  varied  labors 
with  great  acceptance  to  the  churches  and  with  constant 
tokens  of  the  divine  blessing. 

Church  Extension. 

As  illustrative  of  the  attitude  of  the  Board  and  of  the 
Convention  toward  the  planting  of  new  churches,  with 
their  feeling  of  its  desirability  and  its  difficulties,  we  give 
these  extracts  from  the  report : 

"It  seems  of  course  desirable  that  Baptist  churches 
should  be  established  in  all  our  growing  villages  and 
chief  centers  of  business  and  population,  and  to  a  casual 
observer  this  may  seem  a  perfectly  simple  and  easy  mat- 
ter. But  such  impressions  are  by  no  means  realized  in 
the  actual  experiment.  In  many  instances  we  find  no 
sufficient  nucleus  around  which  to  gather  a  new  interest. 
Often  we  are  overborne  by  the  numbers,  wealth  and  con- 
trolling influence  of  other  denominations.  Then  there 
are  the  numerous  contingencies,  fluctuations  in  business, 
changes  of  population,  also  the  extreme  difficulty  of  se- 
curing pastors  adapted  to  such  fields.  .  .  It  should 
not  be  thought  very  strange  if  in  occasional  instances  our 
hopes  have  failed  to  be  realized." 

The  Missouri  Compromise. 

In  the  doings  of  this  year  we  find  a  record  of  the  first 
protest  against  the  repeal  of  the  Missouri  compromise, 
and  the  introduction  of  slavery  into  the  new  territories. 
Deacon  Albert  Day,  so  many  years  one  of  the  strong 
pillars  of  the  South  church,  Hartford,  offered  some  ring- 
ing resolutions,  which  were  adopted  without  a  dissenting 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION        73 

voice.  From  that  time  until  the  close  of  the  long  strug- 
gle there  were  adopted  in  the  minutes  many  such  resolu- 
tions which  we  may  not  find  space  to  record.  We  feel 
safe  in  saying  that  while  the  Baptists  of  our  state,  as  of  all 
the  northern  states,  were  unanimous  in  their  loyalty  to  the 
Union,  and  nearly  though  not  altogether  so  in  their  con- 
demnation of  slavery,  nevertheless  they  showed  an  un- 
failing charity  toward  their  brethren  in  the  South  whose 
feet  had  been  entangled  in  the  meshes  of  the  slave  net. 
They  mourned  over  the  desolations  in  the  South  as  truly 
as  over  those  in  the  North.  They  recognize  more  truly 
now  than  they  could  then  the  moral  force  of  the  motives 
that  actuated  the  South,  and  the  loyalty  which  these 
southern  brethren  manifested  to  their  states. 

1855.     The  thirty-second  annual  meeting  was  held  with 
the   Meriden  church,  June   12-14.     Rev.  Lester 
Lewis  was  President,  while  the  Secretary  and  Treasurer 
remained  as  before. 

Report  of  the  Board. 

"The  year  cannot  be  reckoned  as  amongst  the  brightest 
and  most  prosperous  in  the  history  of  the  Convention. 
In  the  commercial  world  it  has  been  a  season  of  pecuniary 
embarrassment  and  this  has  borne  hard  on  many  of  our 
churches.  .  .  Yet  some  of  our  churches  have  been 
visited  with  delightful  seasons  of  refreshing  and  have 
rejoiced  in  the  accession  of  large  numbers.  Twelve 
churches  have  been  aided  directly  from  our  funds,  $581 
in  all. 

"Brother  N.  E.  Shailer  has  worked  alone  on  the  mis- 
sionary field.  Brother  Denison  having  accepted  a  pas- 
torate. Brother  Shailer  has  labored  with  the  Greenville 
church,  preaching  for  them  during  the  illness  of  Rev. 
Niles  Whiting,  their  pastor,  and  after  his  decease  also 
aiding  in  the  work  of  rebuilding  their  meeting-house." 

The  Rockville  church  had  been  so  weakened  and  was 
so  much  in  debt  that  it  had  sold  its  house  of  worship.  For 


76  HISTORY  OF  THE 

the  want  of  a  few  hundred  dollars  to  meet  its  necessities 
this  church  remained  dormant  for  many  years,  to  be  re- 
suscitated only  at  a  much  greater  outlay  later,  thus  prov- 
ing the  truth  of  the  saying,  "VvTio  gives  quickly  gives 
twice."  This  year  marked  the  beginning  of  the  church  in 
Falls  Village  or  Bantam,  where  Brother  Simonds  had 
taken  charge. 

1856.     The  Convention  met  with  the  Middletown  church 
June  il  and  12.     Rev.  W.  S.  Clapp  was  Presi- 
dent, the  Secretary  and  Treasurer  continuing  in  office. 

It  is  quite  worth  our  while  to  devote  the  space  allotted 
to  this  year  to  the  tribute  paid  by  the  Board  to  the  mis- 
sionar}^  Rev.  N.  E.  Shailer.  To  no  one  man  are  the 
Baptists  of  the  state  more  indebted  than  to  this  devoted 
disciple.  The  older  people  will  recognize  the  truth  of 
the  picture. 

A  Missionary's  JVork  in  Winter. 

"Such  a  succession  of  stormy  Sabbaths,  of  drifting 
snows,  and  weeks  of  stinging  cold  as  have  characterized 
this  winter  the  memory  of  the  oldest  inhabitant  fails  to 
recall.  And  'through  fire  and  hail,  snow  and  vapor,  and 
stormy  wind'  wliich,  though  they  fulfill  their  providential 
designs,  are  manifestly  incompatible  with  the  very  ex- 
tensive preaching  of  the  Word,  our  well-tried  missionary 
has  plodded  his  way  with  an  unfailing  courage  and  un- 
abating  hope.  He  has  faced  the  north  wind,  floundered 
in  the  snow-drifts,  and  dragged  through  the  mud,  and 
with  the  exception  of  three  weeks  of  illness  from  his  ex- 
posures, has  been  somewhere  in  the  field  throughout  the 
year.  In  the  fulfilment  of  his  duties  he  has  visited  every 
county  in  the  state." 

Rev.  E.  A.  Stevens  from  Burma  was  present  and  made 
an  address.  The  reports  on  Foreign  and  Home  Mis- 
sions and  the  Publication  Society,  prepared  by  some  of 
our  ablest  brethren,  urged  to  a  more  liberal  support  of 
these  societies.     Contributions  for  all  objects  aggregated 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION         77 

$14,045.55,  of  which  State  Missions  received  $1,561.56. 
Through  all  the  years  this  seems  to  have  been  very  near 
the  general  average  proportionate  giving  between  the 
State  Convention  and  all  other  objects  of  benev^olence. 

1857.     The    annual    meeting   was   held   with    the    First 
church.  New  London.     Rev.  Charles  Willett  was 
President. 

Report  of  the  Board. 

Very  appreciative  and  tender  mention  is  made  of  the 
death  of  Rev.  Harvey  Miller,  late  pastor  of  the  First 
church,  Meriden,  and  also  of  the  death  of  Rev.  E.  P. 
Fish  of  Haddam,  and  that  of  Rev.  W.  S.  Smith  of  New- 
town, younger  in  the  ministry  and  less  known.  For  these 
and  all  other  memorial  tributes  reference  is  made  for 
greater  convenience  to  the  Necrology  printed  in  the  Ap- 
pendix. At  this  date  the  report  on  obituaries  had  not 
been  made  a  part  of  the  annual  proceedings. 

For  about  half  of  the  year  the  Secretary  had  served 
as  agent  for  the  Convention  and  as  a  missionary  together 
with  Brother  Shailer,  but  had  returned  again  to  the  pas- 
torate. Mr.  Shailer's  work  had  continued,  and  with  the 
same  large  measure  of  success.  Nine  churches  had  been 
aided  at  an  expense  of  $400.  The  report  says:  "A  few 
of  the  smaller  and  feebler  churches  have  recently 
come  to  a  somewhat  improved  and  more  hopeful 
position.  This  is  the  case  with  the  Wethersfield,  Tariff- 
ville,  Bloomfield  and  South  Woodstock  churches.  The 
church  at  Hadlyme,  under  the  ministrations  of  our  blind 
brother,  William  Harris,  has  refitted  and  improved  its 
house  of  worship  and  is  strengthened  and  encouraged. 
No  new  fields  have  been  entered  by  the  Board,  though 
there  are  a  few  points  in  different  portions  of  the  state 
where  we  hope  ere  long  successfully  to  plant  our  stand- 
ard." With  an  expense  of  .'^  1,207. 25,  a  balance  is  re- 
ported of  $505.73. 


78  HISTORY  OF  THE 

A  special  committee  of  seven,  one  from  each  associ- 
ation, was  appointed  to  report  next  year  on  the  destitute 
fields  and  the  feeble  churches  in  their  respective  associ- 
ations. 

Report  on  State  Missions. 

This  report,  presented  by  Rev.  E.  P.  Bond,  says  in 
part:  "The  present  condition  of  our  churches  does  not 
represent  the  full  results  of  the  evangelical  labors  per- 
formed either  by  the  pastors  and  churches  themselves, 
or  by  those  who  have  been  laboring  more  immediately 
under  the  patronage  of  the  Convention.  In  the  crowds 
that  are  emigrating  to  the  West  are  found  some  of  the 
most  efficient  and  enterprising  of  our  members.  They  are 
rendering  good  service  where  they  are,  but  are  lost  to  us. 
For  some  years  past  we  have  tried  to  secure  additional 
missionary  force,  but  have  not  succeeded.  Perhaps  if 
attention  is  paid  to  the  lay  members  of  our  churches  some 
may  be  found  adapted  to  the  work  we  propose.  Let 
such  brethren  alone,  or  better  in  pairs,  do  the  sort  of 
work  done  by  colporteurs,  going  from  house  to  house  in 
our  scattered  districts  telling  the  story,  praying  with  and 
for  the  people,  finding  out-stations  which  the  nearest 
church  and  pastor  may  find  a  field  of  labor." 

1858.     The  thirty-fifth  annual  meeting  was  held  with  the 
Southington  church.    Rev.  Frederick  Denison  was 
chosen    President.      The    Secretary    and   the   Treasurer 
remain  as  before. 

Report  of  the  Board. 

The  report  begins  with  appreciative  notice  of  the 
deaths  of  Rev.  Lester  Lewes,  Rev.  S.  S.  Mallory  and  Rev. 
Justus  A.  Vinton.  For  the  first  two  we  refer  to  the 
obituary  record  in  the  Appendix.  Rev.  Justus  A.  Vinton 
was  not  closely  identified  with  the  work  of  the  Conven- 
tion, though  he  was  one  of  the  worthiest  sons  of  Connecti- 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION        79 

cut.     It  is  proper  that  what  was  said  of  him  should  find 
its  place  on  these  pages. 

In  M emoriam  Justus  A.  Vinton. 

"On  the  eve  of  this  anniversary  gathering  intelligence 
reaches  us  of  the  death  of  this  devoted  laborer  on  the 
foreign  field.  Brother  Vinton  was  a  Connecticut  man  and 
confessedly  an  able,  faithful  and  successful  missionary  of 
the  cross.  For  twenty-four  years  he  has  devoted  himself 
arduously,  industriously,  perseveringly,  and  with  very 
large  success  to  the  work  of  evangelizing  the  Karens  of 
Burma.  Thousands  of  that  interesting  people  have  come 
to  regard  him  as  their  father  in  the  Lord,  and  his  loss 
must  be  to  them  the  occasion  of  deep  sorrow.  In  the 
present  juncture  of  missionary  affairs  the  removal  of  such 
a  man  seems  a  very  mysterious  providence.  Let  us  'be 
still,  and  know  that  He  is  God.'  " 

Mr.  Vinton  had  two  children,  a  daughter  who  married 
Rev.  Mr.  Luther,  and  a  son,  Brainerd,  who  married 
Miss  Haswell.  Mr.  Brainerd  Vinton  had  three  children, 
a  daughter  who  married  Rev.  Mr.  Seagrave,  a  son,  Her- 
bert, and  a  son,  Samuel  who  married  Miss  Bunker.  All 
of  these  are  or  have  been  missionaries  in  Burma. 

The  Great  Revival  Year. 

"The  past  autumn  and  winter  have  been  signalized  by 
one  of  the  most  extraordinary  financial  revulsions  ever 
known.  All  classes  have  felt  the  blow  and  staggered 
under  the  pressure  of  the  times.  Many  of  the  churches 
have  been  weakened  and  crippled  in  their  resources. 

"The  march  of  mercy  has  followed  closely  upon  the 
track  of  trouble.  Never  before  has  the  salvation  of  God 
been  so  mightily  revealed  in  our  land.  In  this  visitation 
of  mercy  our  own  state  has  largely  shared."  The  reports 
of  the  churches  for  the  succeeding  year  were  2,067  bap- 
tisms, the  largest  addition  in  all  the  years  to  the  present 
time.  The  2,000  mark  had  been  reached  once  before,  in 
1843,  but  has  not  been  attained  at  any  time  since  1859. 


80  HISTORY  OF  THE 

Three  new  churches  were  constituted,  one  of  them  be- 
ing at  Thompsonville  in  the  town  of  Enfield.  This  was  a 
relocation  and  revival  of  a  former  church  called  the  En- 
field church.  One  was  founded  at  Baltic,  where  a  large 
manufacturing  plant  had  been  erected,  and  the  third  was 
started  at  West  Hartford.  The  first  two  churches  have 
since  become  extinct,  the  Baltic  church  because  of  the  fail- 
ure of  the  mills,  and  the  Thompsonville  church  very 
largely  because  of  the  then  unforeseen  substitution  of 
foreigners  in  place  of  native  working  people. 

1859.     The  thirty-sixth  annual  meeting  was  held  with  the 
First  Baptist  church,  Hartford,  June  7-9.     Rev. 
S.  D.  Phelps  was  President,  with  the  same  Secretary  and 
Treasurer  as  before. 

Report  of  the  Board. 

The  Board  had  failed  to  secure  the  services  of  a  second 
missionary,  and  Brother  Shailer  had  continued  alone  on 
the  field.  He  had  sought  for  a  release  but  could  not  be 
spared,  "though  it  is  true  that  the  perplexities  of  his  posi- 
tion, as  well  as  its  advantages  to  the  Convention,  cannot 
be  properly  estimated  by  those  not  familiar  with  the  de- 
tails of  the  service  performed." 

Nine  churches  had  been  aided  by  direct  grants  to  the 
amount  of  $475. 

First  Aid  lo  the  Germans. 

The  work  of  ministering  to  our  foreign-born,  which 
was  to  grow  to  such  large  proportions,  began  this  year. 
"The  First  church.  New  Haven,  contributed  $15 
to  the  German  interest  in  that  city,  where  Brother 
Otto  has  been  laboring  among  his  countrymen  with  evi- 
dent tokens  of  the  divine  blessing." 

A  Promising!  Beginning. 

"The  church  in  West  Harford  has  completed  a  very 
pleasant,   tasteful   and   conv^enient  church   edifice,   which 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION        81 

was  opened  for  public  worship  in  February.  They  have 
also  settled  a  pastor  and  have  increased  from  seventeen, 
the  original  number  of  members  last  year,  to  fifty-two. 
The  church  has  asked  for  no  pecuniary  aid.  They  have 
paid  $20  to  state  missions  in  addition  to  their  gifts  to 
other  objects." 

After  such  a  prosperous  beginning,  and  In  view  of  the 
constantly  Increasing  population  In  that  charming  suburb 
of  Hartford,  It  is  hard  to  account  for  the  straightened 
condition  of  this  church  In  its  later  years.  To  such  a  field 
the  question  of  Paul  may  well  be  applied,  "Ye  did  run 
well,  what  hath  hindered  you?"  If  experience  Is  of  any 
value  a  careful  Inquiry  into  the  history  of  that  enterprise 
ought  to  result  in  avoiding  the  mistakes  that  must  have 
been  made,  when  new  enterprises  are  planned  for  the 
future. 

The  results  of  last  year's  remarkable  work  of  grace 
were  seen  this  year  In  the  report  of  2,076  baptisms.  This 
was  In  the  proportion  of  one  conversion  to  every  seven 
members.  A  similar  proportion  for  1907  would  return 
4,300  baptisms,  five  times  the  number  that  was  actually 
realized. 

The  expenditures  of  the  Board  for  the  year  were 
$1,307.70,  and  the  balance  In  hand  $311.18.  The  cus- 
tomary reports  were  read  on  the  Bible  Cause,  State  Mis- 
sions, Home  Missions,  Foreign  Missions,  Publication 
Society  and  the  Education  Society.  This  last  held  on  this 
occasion  Its  thirty-first  annual  meeting.  These  causes  con- 
tinued to  Interest  all  the  Baptists  of  the  state  and  the 
meetings  of  the  Convention  formed  the  rallying  center 
for  all  these  activities. 


82  HISTORY  OF  THE 


Chapter  VI. 

i86o-i86g. 

1860.  In  beginning  a  new  chapter  we  give  the  figures 
that  represent  the  strength  of  the  denomination. 
In  1850  the  population  of  the  state  was  370,792,  and  the 
Baptists  numbered  16,033  or  one  in  twenty-three.  They 
had  been  gradually  gaining  from  one  in  107  in  1790  to 
one  in  23  in  1850.  In  1860  the  population  had  risen  to 
460,147,  the  Baptists  numbering  18,806,  or  only  one 
in  25.  This  decrease  of  our  relative  strength  has  known 
no  abatement  from  1850  to  1907.  Now,  with  a  popula- 
tion of  over  a  million,  the  Baptists  number  27,109,  a  ratio 
of  one  in  39.  This  of  course  is  entirely  owing  to  the 
increasing  immigration  of  foreigners. 

The  Convention  met  this  year  with  the  Wooster  Place 
church.  New  Haven,  and  Rev.  P.  G.  Wightman  was 
President.  This  church,  of  which  Rev.  W.  C.  Wilkinson 
was  then  pastor,  had  recently  been  organized.  Subse- 
quently after  the  First  church  had  sent  out  two  other 
colonies,  the  Wooster  Place  church  was  again  absorbed 
into  the  mother  church  and  the  old  First  occupied  the  site 
in  Wooster  Place. 

Report  of  the  Board. 

Rev.  N.  E.  Shailer  had  continued  to  serve  "with  his 
customary  fidelity  and  acceptance."  He  had  also  found 
time  for  a  very  Christlike  service  "in  collecting  means 
among  the  friends  of  our  departed  brother.  Rev.  Lester 
Lewes,  for  the  relief  of  his  widow  and  children." 

Aid  had  been  granted  to  eight  churches,  $425  in 
amount.  The  churches  in  Tariffville,  Brooklyn  and  Bal- 
tic had  made  satisfactory  progress.     The  Board  says: 


4a  «: 


'f 


REV.  JABEZ   S.    SWAN. 


CONNECTICIJT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION         83 

*'In  connection  with  the  system  of  operations  thus  pur- 
sued your  Board  hav^e  endeavored  to  keep  themselves 
advised  of  the  condition  of  the  different  sections  of  the 
state  and  to  hold  themselves  ready  to  occupy  any  new 
openings  which  God's  providence  may  indicate.  Yet  ex- 
perience and  observation  have  taught  them  the  necessity 
of  much  care  in  this  respect."  The  amount  expended 
this  year  had  been  $1,623.33,  leaving  a  balance  of 
$736.92. 


1861.     The   Convention   met  with   the   Central   church, 
Norwich.     Rev.  Dwight  Ives  was  elected  Presi- 
dent, Rev.  E.  Cushman,  Secretary,  and  Wareham  Gris- 
wold,  Treasurer. 

Report  of  the  Board. 

Rev.  Jabez  S.  Swan  had  been  engaged  to  labor  as  a 
missionary,  together  with  Rev.  N.  E.  Shailer.  Very 
many  must  be  still  living  who  remember  the  stirring  cam- 
paign that  these  devoted  men  conducted  through  the  state, 
and  how  delightful  was  the  harmony  in  which  these  two, 
with  such  different  gifts,  labored  in  the  common  cause. 
The  church  in  Stirling  had  been  resuscitated  and  Rev. 
Thomas  Terry  settled  as  pastor.  In  Meriden  a  new 
church  had  been  organized,  the  West  Meriden,  with 
thirty-seven  members  mostly  taken  from  the  First  church. 

An  Earnest  Appeal 

was  made  from  the  floor  and  resolutions  adopted  urging 
upon  the  churches  that  though  the  Civil  War  was  in 
progress  and  there  was  a  consequent  drain  upon  their 
resources,  they  should  not  suffer  the  great  missionary 
enterprises  to  languish.  The  total  moneys  passing,  either 
in  cash  or  vouchers,  through  the  hands  of  the  treasurer 
were  $10,044,  of  which  only  $2,819  was  spent  within  the 
state. 


84  HISTORY  OF  THE 

The  Civil  IVar 

was  at  this  time  fairly  under  way,  though  none  could  have 
foreseen  the  length  and  severity  of  that  war,  or  the  ter- 
rible cost  of  suffering  and  death  which  it  would  entail. 
The  first  battle  of  Bull  Run  had  not  yet  been  fought,  but 
the  hosts  were  gathering  and  a  war  spirit  was  prevalent 
in  all  the  North.  Such  a  patriotic  body  of  men  as  the 
Baptist  ministers  of  Connecticut  could  not  be  silent  on  so 
momentous  an  occasion.  Rev.  E.  H.  Bond  offered  a 
series  of  resolutions  which  were  unanimously  passed. 
We  record  the  last,  which  indicates  not  only  our  people's 
abhorrence  of  the  rebellion,  but  the  tenderness  of  their 
feelings  toward  their  erring  brethren  of  the  South. 

"Resolved,  That  we  are  not  conscious  of  any  hostility 
towards  our  Christian  brethren  of  the  South,  such  as  they 
have  imputed  to  us,  yet  while  cherishing  none  but  the 
kindliest  feelings  towards  them  we  deeply  regret  and 
earnestly  protest  against  the  unscriptural  dogma  of  rebel- 
lion and  disunion,  to  the  control  of  which  they  have  sur- 
rendered themselves." 

1862.  The  thirty-ninth  annual  meeting  was  held  in 
Stamford,  with  the  church  of  which  the  writer 
of  this  sketch  was  at  that  time  the  pastor.  That  was 
forty-five  years  ago.  Looking  over  the  list  of  officers 
and  trustees  both  of  the  Convention  and  of  the  Education 
Society,  forty-two  different  names  in  all,  the  writer  is 
aware  of  only  four  who  "remain  to  this  day:"  Rev.  J. 
P.  Brown,  that  year  the  President  of  the  Convention, 
Rev.  C.  B.  Crane,  D.D.,  Rev.  R.  J.  Adams,  D.D.,  and 
the  writer  himself.  Some  of  the  laymen  named  may  have 
removed  to  other  states  and  be  still  living.  "The  fath- 
ers, where  are  thev;  and  the  prophets,  do  they  live  for- 
ever : 

t      The  Report  of  the  Board, 

after  reference  to  the  effects  of  the  war,  the  pressure  of 
anxiety,  the  fever  of  excitement,  and  the  pecuniary  losses 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION        85 

incident  upon  the  curtailment  of  business,  goes  on  to  say: 
"Among  all  this  tumult  of  war  the  Prince  of  Peace  has 
been  achieving  triumphs.  In  various  quarters  we  have 
been  visited  with  precious  tokens  of  God's  favor. 
Over  one  hundred  souls  have  been  converted  through  the 
labors  of  our  two  missionaries."  A  second  appropriation 
was  made  to  the  German  church  in  New  Haven.  "Per- 
haps never  in  the  history  of  our  operations,"  continues 
the  report,  "have  the  claims  of  the  field  been  more  press- 
ing than  now.  The  embarrassments  of  the  times  bear 
heavily  upon  some  of  our  smaller  churches,  and  though 
quite  possibly  some  of  them  make  themselves  poorer 
than  need  be  by  always  thinking  and  talking  poverty, 
still  the  necessities  for  aid  are  widespread  and  real." 

Two  new  churches  were  received:  West  Meriden  and 
South  Norwalk. 

Report  on  the  State  of  the  Country. 

Rev.  J.  A.  Bailey  presented  a  report  with  six  resolu- 
tions, the  first  and  fifth  of  which  we  place  on  record: 

"That  as  delegates  of  the  Baptist  churches  we  do  here- 
by express  and  record  our  devout  acknowledgments  to 
Almight}'  God  for  the  spontaneous  and  unanimous  upris- 
ing of  the  loyal  portion  of  this  great  nation  to  crush  out 
this  unprovoked  and  godless  rebellion;  for  the  cheerful 
sacrifice  of  property,  service  and  life  in  defence  of  the 
Government;  for  the  wisdom,  honesty  and  prudence  which 
manifestly  guided  the  counsels  of  the  President;  for  the 
signal  successes  that  have  attended  our  arms,  giving 
promise  of  the  reestablishment  of  the  authority  of  the 
Government  over  the  whole  land." 

"That  we  are  moved  to  express  our  gratitude  to  those 
of  our  citizens  who  jeopard  their  lives  unto  death,  and  to 
the  sick  and  wounded  of  our  army  and  nav^^,  and  the 
many  bereaved  families  in  our  land." 


86  HISTORY  OF  THE 

1863.      The  fortieth  annual  meeting  was  held  with  the 
church   in   Willimantic,   June   9  and    10.        Rev. 
Charles  S.  Weaver  was  chosen  President.     There  was  no 
change  in  the  offices  of  Secretary  and  Treasurer. 

Report  of  the  Board. 

Brethren  Shailer  and  Swan  had  continued  in  the  ser- 
vice of  the  state  through  the  year.  They  had  labored 
mostly  in  Windham  county.  In  the  Easton  and  Second 
Ashford  churches  about  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  had 
been  converted.  "Some  of  the  churches  even  in  these 
troublous  times,  are  making  encouraging  progress;  others 
seem  to  be  declining  and  decaying."  The  report  assigns 
various  causes:  prominent  members  absent,  serving  in 
the  army,  diversities  and  collisions  of  opinion  concerning 
public  affairs,  local  dissensions,  possibly  in  some  cases 
business  depression.  The  report  truthfully  adds:  "As  a 
general  thing  the  business  of  our  people  was  never  more 
flourishing,  and  never  was  the  outlay  of  labor  and  of 
capital  more  remunerative." 

Eleven  churches  had  received  aid  to  the  amount  of 
$385.  The  total  disbursements  had  been  $2,062.82, 
leaving  a  balance  of  $617.77. 

Report  on  State  Missions. 

The  report  from  the  special  committee  was  presented 
by  Rev.  J.  A.  Bailey,  and  after  long  and  earnest  debate 
in  which  ten  of  the  ablest  men  on  the  floor  took  part,  was 
adopted  without  any  expressed  opposition.  Among  other 
hindrances  to  progress,  hindrances  which  are  often  refer- 
red to  in  similar  reports  because  they  are  always  oper- 
ative, being  in  a  sense  chronic,  one  hindrance  is  specified 
which  was  peculiar  to  that  period,  though  the  evil  results 
of  it  have  not  wholly  passed  away  from  all  our  churches. 
The  report  thus  designates  this  special  hindrance:  "a  dis- 
loyal and  unchristian  relation  on  the  part  of  some  of  our 
members  to  the  Government  in  its  hour  of  trial,  and  a 
refusal  to  sustain  a  true  and  holy  relation  to  the  moral 
questions  of  the  day." 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION        87 
Divergent  Vieivs  on  the  Civil  War. 

The  writer  of  this  sketch  may  lay  himself  open  to 
criticism  for  calling  attention  to  this  matter  at  so  late  a 
date,  when  a  second  and  even  a  third  generation  from 
those  who  participated  in  those  stirring  times  is  already 
upon  the  stage  of  life,  and  the  very  memory  of  the  Civil 
War  has  almost  passed  away.  But  truth  to  history  de- 
mands some  explanation  of  that  sharp  divergence  of  view 
which  then  divided  our  churches,  and  created  an  acri- 
mony of  spirit  whose  evil  effects  have  not  yet  entirely  died 
out  in  some  of  them.  As  we  have  seen,  the  great,  the 
overwhelming  majority  of  our  pastors  and  laymen  were 
on  the  side  of  the  Government.  This  was  mostly  because 
they  were  altogether  anti-slavery,  and  knevv  that  the  ob- 
ject of  the  South  was  the  perpetuation  of  that  institution, 
and  that  this  was  the  motive  of  the  proposed  secession. 

There  were,  however,  a  few  of  our  pastors  and  a  good 
many  of  our  members  who  did  not  see  things  as  their 
brethren  did.  They  could  not  express  their  views  in  the 
meetings  of  the  Convention,  but  they  could  and  did  in 
their  own  churches.  It  is  true  that  they  were  conscien- 
tious— that  they  followed  the  light  as  they  saw  it,  even  as 
did  our  brethren  at  the  South.  How  did  their  divergence 
come  about?  We  find  sufficient  explanation  in  these  two 
considerations : 

First,  in  the  early  struggle  for  religious  freedom  in 
our  state,  as  elsewhere,  while  the  Federalist  party  was 
the  conservative  party  and  held  to  the  standing  order, 
the  Democratic  party  championed  the  cause  of  religious 
freedom.  The  Baptists  as  well  as  the  Methodists  and 
Episcopalians  allied  themselves  with  the  Democrats.  In 
the  readjustment  of  parties  many  of  our  Baptist  people 
remained  loyal  to  their  party. 

Secondly,  during  all  the  controversy  which  arose  re- 
garding free  soil,  the  Missouri  compromise,  and  the 
restriction  of  slavery,  it  is  a  matter  of  history 
that  the  Democratic  party  took  sides  with  the  South, 
When    the    southern    states,    despairing    of    the    United 


88  HISTORY  OF  THE 

States  Government  ever  coming  to  their  point  of 
view,  determined  on  secession,  they  expected,  and 
had  a  right  to  expect,  that  the  Democrats  of  the 
North  would  take  no  part  in  any  forcible  resist- 
ance. It  is  more  than  likely  that  the  leaders  gave  pledges 
to  that  effect  and  that  when  the  secret  history  of  those 
times  is  disclosed  this  will  be  revealed.  But  if  they  did, 
those  leaders  soon  found  themselves  unable  to  deliver 
the  promised  goods.  The  great  mass  of  the  people  of 
the  North,  Democrats  as  well  as  Republicans,  those  who 
cared  little  or  nothing  about  slavery  as  well  as  those  who 
desired  its  overthrow,  would  not  agree  to  the  division  of 
the  nation,  but  stood  for  ''the  Union,  now  and  forever, 
one  and  inseparable." 

However,  it  is  no  cause  for  wonder  that  a  goodly  num- 
ber of  our  people  were  not  in  sympathy  with  this  Na- 
tionalist feeling.  They  stood  aloof  from  the  whole  busi- 
ness. They  charged  it  all  upon  the  Abolitionists — all  the 
y  horrors  of  war,  and  the  sufferings  of  the  people.  Hence 
there  was  dissension  in  our  churches.  Not  a  few  of  our 
pastors  had  to  leave  their  pulpits,  some  because  they 
were  for  the  Union,  while  a  large  portion  of  their  people 
were  not,  and  others,  a  few  because  they  were  in  sym- 
pathy with  the  South,  while  the  majority  of  their  parish 
were  for  the  Union.  Those  were  strenuous  and  perilous 
times.  All  this  Is  over.  The  rancour  and  the  bitterness 
are  past.  The  will  of  God  has  been  done.  Not  merely 
are  the  people  submissive  to  It,  but  the  whole  nation  re- 
joices together  In  a  united  country  and  the  destruction  of 
slavery.  The  recalling  of  those  times  of  bitterness  is  a 
^  task  fraught  with  ungracious  recollections,  still  a  history 
of  the  churches  of  Connecticut  could  not  be  written  and 
this  chapter  left  out. 

.  1864.     The  forty-first  annual  meeting  was  held  with  the 

Essex  church,  June  7  and  8.     George  Levis  was 

President,  Rev.  E.  Cushman,  Secretary,  and  Wareham 

Griswold,   Treasurer.      Rev.   William   Dean,   D.D.,   the 

returned  missionary,  was  present  and  made  an  address. 


CONxNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION        8V 
Report  of  tlie  Board. 

From  this  we  learn  that  Brother  Shailer  had  been  laid 
aside  for  the  greater  part  of  the  year  by  the  illness  of 
himself  and  of  his  family  and  also  that  Brother  Swan 
had  labored  through  the  summer  in  Bristol  at  the  charges 
of  the  church  without  visible  results.  Then  when  he  was 
almost  disheartened  a  gracious  revival  began.  "For 
weeks  the  work  continued  to  deepen  and  widen;  the  house 
of  God  was  thronged  with  eager  hearers;  sixty  were 
added  to  the  church  by  baptism.  He  was  entirely  over- 
taxed, and  such  a  condition  of  exhaustion  and  disease 
supervened  as  quite  to  lay  him  aside  from  service."  Little 
general  missionary  work  therefore  had  been  done  this 
year. 

Eight  churches  had  been  aided  at  an  expense  of  $300. 
These  churches  and  others  that  were  under  the  immediate 
oversight  of  the  Board  had  made  commendable  progress. 
The  German  church  in  New  Haven  had  "taken  a  more 
perfectly  organized  and  consolidated  form,"  and  Rev. 
John  Blenner  had  been  ordained  as  pastor. 

Report  on  Home  Missions. 

This  was  presented  by  Rev.  P.  S.  Evans  of  Stamford. 
It  finds  mention  here  because  it  brought  before  the 
churches  almost  for  the  first  time  the  new  burdens  of 
duties  which  had  been  providentially  thrust  upon  the  so- 
ciety by  the  results  of  the  war — which  was  still  to  devas- 
tate the  country  for  a  year — namely,  the  care  of  the 
emancipated  slaves,  and  the  founding  of  Christian  schools 
for  their  education.  The  report  closes  with  the  follow- 
ing resolution: 

"Resolved,  That  the  $150,000  which  the  Home  Mis- 
sion Society  proposes  to  raise  the  coming  year  is  none  too 
much  wherewith  to  accomplish  the  work  which  the  Provi- 
dence of  God  has  thrown  upon  our  hands  in  the  occu- 
pancy of  the  growing  empire  of  the  West,  In  the  care 


90  HISTORY  OF  THE 

of  the  enfranchised  slaves,  so  many  of  whom  are  Bap- 
tists, and  in  the  preservation  of  Baptist  churches  in 
the  pacificated  and  renovated  southern  states." 

The  Jubilee  Year  of  Foreign  Missions. 

As  this  was  the  jubilee  year  of  this  notable  Christian 
enterprise  more  than  usual  interest  was  shown  in  this 
object.  This  interest  was  intensified  by  the  presence  and 
moving  address  of  Rev.  Dr.  Dean.  It  was  estimated  that 
one  hundred  thousand  had  been  gathered  through  the 
labors  of  the  missionaries  of  the  American  Baptist  Mis- 
sionary Union  since  Judson  had  landed  in  Rangoon  in 
1813.  There  were  three  hundred  native  churches  and 
six  hundred  native  preachers.  Rev.  C.  B.  Crane  of  the 
South  church,  Hartford,  presented  the  report,  which 
closed  with  the  following  resolutions : 

"Resolved,  That  we  pledge  our  earnest  efforts  to  the 
raising  of  the  requisite  $150,000  for  the  prosecution  of 
the  work  to  which  the  Missionary  Union  is  pledged. 

^'Resolved,  That  we  recommend  the  churches  which 
have  not  already  contributed  to  the  Jubilee  Fund  to  de- 
vote the  third  Sunday  in  June  to  that  object." 

Resolutions  on  the  State  of  the  Country. 

Before  the  next  meeting  of  the  Convention  the  war 
was  destined  to  end  and  peace  to  be  declared.  Alas ! 
our  noble  President,  the  latest  and  most  costly  martyr, 
was  destined  to  fall  by  the  hand  of  the  assassin.  This 
year  a  series  of  four  resolutions  was  offered  by  Rev.  S.  D. 
Phelps,  D.D.,  of  New  Haven,  for  the  last  of  which  we 
find  room : 

"Resolved,  That  we  gratefully  recognize  the  hand  of 
God  in  the  widespread  revivals  of  religion  preceding  the 
war  in  which  so  many  of  our  young  men  were  prepared 
for  the  duties  and  dangers  of  soldier  life;  in  the  recent 
wonderful  displays  of  grace  in  our  camps  and  hospitals, 
reviving  the  hopes  of  believers  and  multiplying  converts, 


CONNECTICUT  RAPTISl^  CONVENTION        91 

and  in  the  outgushing  benevolence  of  the  Christian  and 
loyal  people  to  relieve  the  wants  of  our  sick  and  wounded 
heroes  and  minister  to  the  necessities  of,  and  elevate  to 
manhood,  those  whom  God's  providence  has  delivered 
from  bondage." 

We  are  very  glad  to  record  here  this  admirable  resolution 
and  especially  to  call  attention  to  the  remarkable  work 
done  through  the  unprecedented  benevolence  of  our 
people  by  the  Red  Cross  Society,  the  Sanitary  Commis- 
sion, the  Christian  Commission,  and  the  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association.  The  writer  regrets  that  he  cannot 
give  even  an  approximate  estimate  of  the  amount  of 
money  expended  in  these  beneficences.  It  was  a  vast  sum. 
Yet  the  money  cost  was  but  the  least  of  the  sacrifices. 
The  real  sacrifice  was  the  personal  service,  the  loving 
devotion  both  of  those  who  in  the  homes  of  our  land 
prepared  the  gifts,  and  of  those  who  in  camp  and  hospi- 
tals were  the  immediate  almoners  of  their  bounties.  In 
all  this  the  Baptists  of  our  own  state  did  their  full  share. 


1865.     The  forty-second  annual  meeting  was  held  with 
the  Danbury  church.     Rev.  Samuel  Graves  was 
President,   the   Secretary   and   Treasurer   remaining   un- 
changed. 

Report  of  the  Board. 

"The  cloud  of  war  which  at  our  last  session  rested 
so  heavily  over  our  country  has  passed  by.  With  marvel- 
ous suddenness  and  completeness  its  dark  folds  were 
broken  and  dispersed,  parting  asunder  and  flitting  away 
with  such  rapidity  that  'we  were  like  them  that  dream.' 
We  could  scarcely  credit  our  senses,  so  difficult  was  it  to 
realize  the  transition.  But  God  has  wrought  it. 
We  come  together  to  exchange  our  congratulations  and  to 
consult  for  the  kingdom  which  stands  steadfast  and  firm 
through  all  shocks  and  revolutions,  a  kingdom  of  'right- 
eousness and  peace  and  joy  in  the  Holy  Ghost.'  " 


92  HISTORY  OF  THE 

Brother  Shaller  had  been  in  the  field  through  the  year, 
and  Wilham  Denison  since  November.  The  missionaries 
had  labored  mostly  in  Fairfield  county,  with  the  First 
Danbury,  Easton,  Stepney  and  Fairfield  churches.  These 
and  other  churches  had  received  large  accessions  to  their 
membership.  The  total  number  of  baptisms  was  698. 
Five  churches  had  been  aided,  receiving  in  all  $335. 

The  Committee  on  State  JVork 

reported  the  following  resolutions,  which  were  adopted: 
"Resolved,  That  while  we  endeavor  to  cultivate  the 
field  we  have  hitherto  occupied,  a  larger  measure  of 
attention  and  labor  should  be  bestowed  on  prospecting 
and  entering  new  fields. 

"Resolved,  That  we  have  unabated  confidence  In  our 
present  state  missionaries,  and  recommend  their  con- 
tinuance, and  also  that  the  Board  should  seek  able  and 
judicious  men,  a  part  of  whose  time  should  be  employed 
In  exploring  and  occupying  Important  points  in  the  state." 
Such  resolutions  are  frequent  in  the  records  of  the 
Convention  and  are  symptomatic  of  the  deep  and  abiding 
conviction  of  the  brethren  that  strategic  points  should  be 
seized  and  occupied  before  It  should  be  too  late.  But 
they  failed  of  fruition  partly  because  they  were  vague  and 
unpractical.  Able  and  judicious  men  are  not  easily  se- 
cured for  "part  of  their  time,"  and  such  men  only  in 
temporary  employ  can  not  well  occupy  new  fields. 

Report  on  the  State  of  the  Country. 

We  find  a  report  on  this  subject.  It  makes  grateful 
mention  of  the  leadings  of  Divine  Providence  in  the  pro- 
longed and  fearful  struggle  through  which  the  country 
has  passed,  and  for  its  happy  issue  in  peace.  One  of 
the  resolutions  which  we  record  below  also  expresses 
gratitude  to  God  for  the  wise  leadership  of  the  lamented 
President.  But  we  confess  our  surprise  that  no  reference 
is  made  to  the  manner  of  his  death,  which  was  a  shock 
to  the  whole  world. 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION        93 

"Resolved,  7  hat  we  gratefully  acknowledge  the  divine 
favor  in  granting  us  through  the  trying  ordeal  of  war 
a  leader  patriotic,  devoted,  upright  and  God-fearing, 
as  vv'as  our  late  lamented  President;  and  that  we  will 
continue  to  give  our  cheerful  and  hearty  support  to  our 
present  national  government,  and  will  earnesdy  pray 
that  all  who  are  in  authority  may  be  divinely  guided  in 
all  their  official  actions," 

1866.     The  Convention  met  with  the  First  church,  Hart- 
ford, and  organized  with  Rev.  J.  A.  Bailey  of 
Waterbury,  President,  and  the  same  Secretary  and  Treas- 
urer as  for  several  years  past. 

Report  of  the  Board. 

Brethren  Shailer  and  Denison  had  continued  in  the 
service  of  the  Board  "steadily  and  industriously  pursuing 
their  calling  in  all  parts  of  the  state."  Gratifying  pro- 
gress had  been  made  on  many  fields.  At  Stafford  Rev. 
F.  L.  Batchelder  had  been  called  to  begin  a  second  pastor- 
ate, which  was  to  continue  for  many  years.  At  Mont- 
ville  a  new  house  of  worship  had  been  built.  The  Bloom- 
field  church  was  engaged  in  remodeling  its  chapel  at  an 
outlay  of  $2,000  and  would  need  help  the  coming  year. 
In  the  years  immediately  following  the  war  business  had 
greatly  improved,  wages  had  increased,  and  the  financial 
condition  of  the  churches  had  grown  better.  The  Board 
had  distributed  $375  in  aid  to  seven  churches.  The 
treasurer  had  received  from  all  sources  $1,853. 

Report  on  Temperance. 

In  the  report  on  temperance  we  are  quite  surprised  to 
note  that  at  so  late  a  date  the  sin  of  drunkenness  was  still 
prevalent  among  our  members  to  some  degree.  The  re- 
port, which  apparently  went  unchallenged,  contains  this 
clause:  "As  the  use  of  intoxicating  drinks  brings  more 
cases   of  discipline  into   the   church,   and  more   wounds 


94  HISTORY  OF  THE 

upon  the  cause  of  Christ  than  any  other  one  cause,  we 
believe  the  hour  has  fully  arrived  when  total  abstinence 
should  be  made  a  condition  of  membership." 

Evidently  many  of  our  people  had  been  trying  the 
dangerous  practice  of  a  temperate  indulgence  in  intem- 
perance. It  is  gratifying  to  know  that  the  churches 
were  determined  to  destroy  this  evil  root  and  branch. 

Twenty  Thousand  Germans. 

The  statement  was  made  in  connection  with  the  estab- 
lishment of  the  New  Haven  German  church  that  there 
''  were  20,000  Germans  in  the  state.  Yet  only  three  years 
before  had  the  first  step  been  taken  to  reach  that  large 
class  of  foreigners  who  have  proved  such  valuable  citi- 
zens, and  who  in  1900  counted  up  31,852  in  our  state. 
Had  this  matter  earlier  attracted  the  attention  of  the 
Board,  or  had  more  adequate  measures  been  taken  even 
as  late  as  1866,  we  should  find  enrolled  now  many  more 
than  the  three  German  churches  with  their  433  members. 
At  this  session  Rev.  J.  A.  Bailey  presented  a  historical 
sketch  of  the  early  history  of  the  Baptists  of  the  state, 
which  finds  place  in  the  first  chapter  of  this  volume. 

1867.  The  forty-fourth  annual  meeting  was  held  with 
the  Mystic  River  church,  June  11-13.  Rev.  C. 
B.  Crane  of  the  South  church,  Hartford,  was  President, 
Rev.  E.  Cushman  and  Wareham  Griswold  continuing  as 
Secretary  and  Treasurer. 

Report  of  the  Board. 

The  two  missionaries.  Brethren  Shailer  and  Denison, 
had  continued  in  "labors  abundant."  The  German  church 
in  New  Haven  had  made  advance  in  numbers  and 
strength.  It  had  settled  as  pastor  Rev.  H.  L.  Dietz 
and  was  preparing  to  build. 

The  large  mill  in  Tariffville  had  been  destroyed  by 
fire.       As  many  of  the  Baptist  members  had  been  em- 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION        95 

ployed  in  the  mills  it  was  feared  that  the  activities  of 
the  church  would  be  suspended  for  a  while.  These  mills, 
which  were  carpet  factories,  were  not  rebuilt  In  Tariff- 
ville,  but  were  henceforth  removed  to  Thompsonville. 
Six  hundred  dollars  had  been  given  in  aid  to  seven 
churches,  $325  of  this  sum  to  the  German  church  in  New 
Haven. 

A  Working  Missionary. 

The  report  of  the  Board  tells  us  that  the  missionary, 
William  Denison,  had  "emphatically  been  working  with 
his  own  hands.  He  was  largely  occupied  in  superintend- 
ing the  removal  of  the  house  of  worship  from  Pleasant 
Valley  to  New  Hartford.  A  considerable  portion  of  the 
taking  down  and  reconstructing  of  the  edifice  was  done 
by  himself."  He  did  the  same  sort  of  service  for  the 
church  in  Winthrop.  However  unwise  it  may  have  been 
to  divert  the  missionary  from  his  proper  work  for  so 
long  a  period  of  time,  it  shows  his  ready  adaptability  and 
the  deep  interest  he  felt  in  the  churches  under  his  care. 

The  Statistical  Secretary. 

This  year  was  made  the  first  report  by  the  newly  ap- 
pointed Statistical  Secretary,  Mr.  William  H.  Potter  of 
New  Haven.  Mr.  Potter  continued  in  this  office  for 
many  years,  and  to  his  labors  we  are  henceforth  indebted 
for  fuller  and  more  accurate  reports  both  as  to  the  con- 
dition of  the  churches  and  their  benevolences. 

First  Work  for  the  French. 

Rev.  Dr.  S.  Graves,  for  several  years  pastor  of  the 
Central  church,  Norwich,  presented  a  very  strong  and 
able  report  on  the  work  of  the  Convention,  which  was 
vigorously  discusseci  and  unanimously  adopted.  He 
greatly  deplored  the  utter  inadequacy  of  the  help  con- 
tributed to  the  weaker  churches  and  the  failure  to  enter 


96  HISTORY  OF  THE 

the  many  Inviting  new  fields.  He  also  referred  to  the  large 
immigration  of  the  French  CathoHcs  from  Canada  to  the 
eastern  portion  of  the  state.  There  were  said  to  be  al- 
ready 75,000  of  these  people,  and  little  or  no  effort  had 
been  made  to  reach  them  with  the  open  Bible  and  the 
pure  Gospel.  It  was  resolved  to  make  a  beginning  as 
soon  as  a  worker  could  be  secured. 

Appreciation  of  Elder  Shailer. 

"Resolved,  That  we  deeply  regret  the  necessity  which 
has  compelled  our  beloved  brother  and  long-tried  fellow- 
laborer,  Rev.  N.  E.  Shailer,  after  a  service  of  twenty-five 
years,  to  resign  his  connection  with  the  Convention  as  its 
missionary,  and  thus  to  sever  a  relation  which  is  so  full 
of  pleasant  memories  to  us,  and  so  full  of  good  fruits  to 
the  cause  which  he  has  so  faithfully  served. 

"We  do  but  express  the  sentiment  of  our  churches 
throughout  the  state,  many  of  which,  under  God,  are  the 
monuments  of  our  brother's  faith  and  foresight  and  toil, 
when  we  tender  to  him  in  our  own  and  in  their  behalf 
our  warmest  thanks  for  the  fidelity  he  has  shown  and  for 
the  sacrifices  he  has  made,  and  as  we  pledge  our  prayers 
and  remembrances  in  the  future  we  hope  yet  to  avail 
ourselves  of  his  wisdom  and  great  experience  for  mis- 
sionary service." 

1868.  The  annual  meeting  was  held  with  the  First 
church,  New  Haven,  June  9  and  10.  Rev.  A.  C. 
Bronson  was  President,  Rev.  E.  Cushman  and  Wareham 
Griswold  still  continuing  in  oflice  as  Secretary  and  Treas- 
urer. 

Report  of  the  Board. 

The  report  characterizes  this  year  as  a  year  of  revivals, 
but  we  find  on  reference  to  the  table  of  statistics  that 
judging  from  the  baptisms  reported  the  term  would 
have  been   better   applied   to   the   preceding   two   years. 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION        97 

In  1866  1,394  baptisms  were  reported  and  1,107  in  1867. 
In  this  year  there  were  only  797  and  in  1869  only  354. 

Brother  Shailer  had  in  a  measure  regained  his  health 
and  was  reappointed  to  serve  with  Brother  Denison.  An 
effort  was  made  by  the  Board  to  appoint  a  man  as  gen- 
eral agent  and  superintendent  of  missions,  and  Rev.  W. 
C.  Walker  was  chosen  to  this  office,  but  felt  compelled  to 
decline. 

The  Board  had  distributed  $700  in  aid  to  seven 
churches.  In  addition  to  this  $300  had  been  specially 
donated  to  the  German  church,  New  Haven. 

Forward  Movement  Urged. 

Rev.  Dr.  Ives  in  his  report  on  Domestic  (State)  Mis- 
sions calls  special  attention  to  the  necessity  of  planting 
churches  in  the  large  cities,  "whither  the  native  pop- 
ulation is  flowing  in  strong  and  constantly  increasing 
currents."  He  says:  "There  are  at  the  present  time  the 
most  promising  fields  in  the  state  for  missionary  labor 
and  church  extension."  In  the  same  report  is  urged  "the 
employment  of  but  one  general  missionary,  who  shall 
have  the  oversight  of  the  work  in  all  the  state,  with  such 
local  and  revival  preachers  as  the  exigencies  of  the  cause 
may  demand,  and  a  'larger  discretion'  than  heretofore 
granted." 

In  this  year's  minutes  we  find  the  first  fruitage  of  the 
appointment  of  the  Statistical  Secretary  in  tabulated  state- 
ments of  the  spiritual  and  financial  condition  of  all  the 
churches.  From  this  time  on  we  are  able  to  indicate  the 
money  expended  for  the  support  of  the  churches,  as 
well  as  for  all  objects  of  benevolence. 

The  Treasurer  reported  receipts  from  all  sources  as 
$2,772.  He  had  been  obliged  to  draw  $1,000  from  the 
reserved  fund  to  meet  expenses. 

1869.     The  forty-sixth  anniversary  was  held  with  the 
Baptist  church  in  Deep  River,  June  8.     Rev.  R. 
T.  Adams  of  Wallingford  was  chosen  President. 


98  HISTORY  OF  THE 

Report  of  the  Board. 

Brother  Shailer  had  continued  in  the  service  of  the 
Board  through  the  year.  Brother  Denison  also  had  acted 
as  missionary  till  January,  when  he  assumed  charge  of 
the  Winthrop  church.  Rev.  H.  L.  Dietz  of  the  New 
Haven  German  church  had  preached  at  Yalesville  and 
Meriden  and  had  baptized  a  considerable  number  of  con- 
verts. The  Board  had  given  $400  to  this  church  in  view 
of  its  efforts  to  build  a  house  of  worship.  Rev.  Russell 
Jennings  had  bought  a  lot  of  ground  for  the  church  in 
Chester  and  was  proposing  to  build  a  church  edifice  at 
a  cost  of  $8,000. 

Arranging  Date    of  Annual   Meeting. 

At  this  meeting  it  was  decided  to  change  the  date  of 
holding  the  anniversary  from  June  to  October.  The 
officers  and  trustees  were  to  hold  their  positions  till 
October,  1870.  It  was  also  proposed  and  decided  that  a 
special  mass  meeting  should  be  held  in  October  of  this 
year.  A  committee  of  which  Rev.  S.  Graves  was  chair- 
man, was  appointed  to  arrange  for  such  a  meeting. 

The  Secretary  was  authorized,  if  he  found  it  practi- 
cable, to  publish  the  minutes  of  the  different  associations 
in  the  same  volume  with  the  minutes  of  the  Convention. 
This  was  done  and  continued  until  1885. 

The  Mass  Meeting. 

The  mass  meeting  provided  for  at  the  June  session  of 
the  Convention  was  held  in  the  First  church,  Hartford, 
commencing  on  the  evening  of  Tuesday,  October  26,  and 
closing  on  Thursday  evening.  A  part  of  the  sessions 
were  held  in  the  South  church.  There  was  no  record 
kept  of  the  attendance  at  these  meetings.  It  was,  how- 
ever, a  large,  enthusiastic  and  fairly  representative 
gathering  of  the  Baptists  of  the  state.  Rev.  R.  J.  Adams 
was    chosen    temporary    chairman.      The    meeting    fully 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION        99 

organized  by  electing  Hon.  J.  W.  Manning  as  President, 
together  with  six  Vice-Presidents  and  Rev.  E.  Cushman 
as  Secretary.  Its  sessions  were  entirely  occupied  with  the 
affairs  of  the  Convention.  Much  time  was  given  to  prayer, 
and  a  devout  spirit  pervaded  the  meeting  throughout. 

A  committee  of  seven  was  appointed  to  receive  sugges- 
tions from  any  member  of  the  body  as  to  modes  and 
plans  of  conducting  the  work  of  the  Convention.  This 
committee  presented  its  report  through  Rev.  R.  J.  Adams 
at  a  later  hour.  It  was  long  and  covered  many  points. 
The  acting  clause  was  as  follows: 

"Your  committee  would  recommend  that  the  Board  of 
the  Convention  choose  an  Executive  Committee  of  five, 
who  shall  have  the  supervision  of  Domestic  Missions. 
Let  this  committee  gain  a  personal  knowledge  of  the  field 
and  learn  the  wants  of  the  various  localities.  Let  them 
enlist  the  cooperation  of  churches  adjacent  to  destitute 
fields,  who  may  in  some  cases  take  charge  ot  the  work 
in  that  locality  and  support  a  preacher  or  employ  a  col- 
porteur." 

This  report  was  discussed  at  length  and  adopted  with 
enthusiasm.  No  change,  however,  seems  to  have  been 
effected  in  the  policy  of  the  Convention,  except  that  the 
Executive  Committee  of  five  was  formed  and  this  is  re- 
ported in  the  minutes  of  1870. 

The  final  topic  taken  up  for  discussion  was  the  work 
to  be  done  among  our  foreign  population.  The  discus- 
sion had  respect  mainly  to  labor  among  the  Germans. 
It  was  felt  that  if  possible  the  German  church  in  New 
Haven  must  be  relieved  of  the  debt  for  its  building, 
which  was  already  completed  but  could  not  be  occupied 
until  paid  for.  It  was  recommended  to  the  Board  that 
they  appropriate  <<;  1,000  for  this  purpose.  The  amount 
was  voted  by  the  Board,  and  a  committee  consisting  of 
Brethren  Turnbull,  Dietz  and  Phelps  was  appointed  to 
collect  subscriptions  to  meet  it. 

In  the  ten  years  just  past  there  had  been  added  to  the 
churches  by  baptism  6,256.  Contributions  to  the  Con- 
\ention  had  aggregated  $19,677. 


100  HISTORY  OF  THE 


Chapter  VII. 

iS'jo-iS'/g. 

1870.  The  forty-seventh  annual  meeting  was  held  with 
the  New  Britain  church,  October  18.  Rev.  A. 
P.  Buell  was  President,  Rev.  Joseph  A.  Bailey,  Secre- 
tary, and  Wareham  Griswold,  Treasurer. 

This  year  closed  the  twenty-four  years'  service  of  Rev. 
E.  Cushman  as  Secretary.  The  report  of  the  Board, 
read  at  this  session,  was  the  last  to  appear  from  his  pen. 
The  following  resolution  was  passed: 

"Resolved,  That  the  thanks  of  this  Convention  be 
cordially  tendered  to  Rev.  E.  Cushman  for  the  entire 
fidelity  with  which  he  has  discharged  the  duties  of  its 
Secretary  for  the  last  twenty-four  years." 

No  one  who  has  not  himself  performed  the  duties  of 
this  office  can  appreciate  the  amount  of  labor  involved  in 
keeping  the  record  of  all  the  meetings  of  the  Board 
and  Conveniion,  attending  to  the  large  correspondence, 
preparing  the  minutes  for  the  press,  and  in  the  many 
incidental  tasks  that  fall  to  such  an  office.  All  these  duties 
Brother  Cushman  had  performed  with  conscientious 
fidelity  and  marked  ability.  For  it  all  he  had  received 
no  pecuniary  consideration  beyond  reimbursement  for 
his  actual  cash  outlays.  His  position  enabled  him  to 
make  the  Christian  Secretary,  of  which  he  was  editor, 
a  miore  desirable  visitor  to  the  homes  of  Baptists,  and 
this  may  have  incidentally  increased  his  list  of  subscribers. 
But  the  personal  value  of  the  position  to  him  was  far 
more  than  offset  by  the  value  of  his  paper  to  the  society 
as  an  organ,  though  an  unpaid  organ,  of  the  State  Con- 
vention. 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION       101 
Report  of  the  Board. 

Brother  N.  E.  Shailer  had  definitely  closed  his  work 
as  missionary  In  March  of  this  year.  His  labors  had 
been  many  and  arduous,  extending  over  a  period  of 
about  thirty  years.  Too  much  praise  cannot  be  bestowed 
upon  this  good  man.  He  was  peculiarly  adapted  for  the 
work  at  that  time  demanded  on  the  country  field.  Prob- 
ably no  man  In  the  service  of  the  Board  before  or  since 
ever  endeared  himself  so  much  to  the  hearts  of  all  our 
people. 

The  Board  had  found  Itself  unable  to  carry  out  all 
the  suggestions  made  at  the  last  annual  meeting  or  at  the 
mass  meeting  held  In  October.  It  had  appropriated 
$1,000  toward  payment  of  the  debt  on  the  German 
church  of  New  Haven,  but  had  been  obliged  to  draw 
on  the  permanent  fund  for  one-half  of  this  amount,  as 
only  $500  had  been  paid  on  the  special  subscription. 
Seven  other  churches  had  received  aid  to  the  amount  of 
$500.  The  Invested  fund  had  been  reduced  to  $1,500 
and  only  the  Interest  of  this  remainder  was  available. 

The  Third  church,  Hartford,  was  received  this  year 
into  the  fellowship  of  the  Convention.  This  church  oc- 
cupied the  present  site  of  the  Memorial  church.  It 
started  with  bright  prospects  but  had  a  varied  experience 
till  It  finally  disbanded.  The  new  church,  the  Memorial, 
was  organized  in  1884. 

Calvary  Church,  New  Haven, 

The  report  tells  us  that  "a  branch  church  was  recently 
started  in  New  Haven,  and  a  large  new  church  edifice 
Is  nearing  completion."  In  this  statement  we  find  the 
first  mention  of  the  Calvary  church,  which  has  filled  so 
large  a  place  In  the  history  of  Connecticut  Baptists. 
This  church  had  no  infancy,  but  began  its  career  in  vigor- 
ous strength.  Its  large  and  well-appointed  edifice  was 
built  and  paid  for  before  the  church  was  organized. 
When    formed    It   absorbed   a    part   of   the   membership 


102  HISTORY  OF  THE 

of  Dwight  Street  church,  which  had  been  in  existence 
for  a  few  years  in  that  part  of  the  city,  but  the  majority 
of  its  members  were  dismissed  directly  from  the  First 
church. 

A  branch  of  the  Second  Suffield  church  was  started 
this  year  in  Rainbow.  This  afterward  grew  to  be  an 
independent  church,  but  it  had  not  the  grace  of  con- 
tinuance. 

1871.     The  forty-eighth  annual  meeting  was  held  with 
the  Norwalk  church.     Hon.  James  L.  Howard 
was  chosen  President,  Rev.  J.  A.  Bailey,  Secretary,  and 
Wareham  Griswold,  Treasurer. 

Report  of  the  Board. 

An  executive  committee  of  the  Board  had  been  ap- 
pointed to  have  charge  of  Convention  matters  between 
the  sessions  of  the  Board.  In  May  Rev.  W.  C.  Walker 
had  been  appointed  general  missionary,  while  Brethren 
Shailer  and  Denison  had  also  served  especially  in  behalf 
of  the  New  Hartford  church.  The  debt  of  $2,210  on 
that  church  had  been  raised  and  paid,  and  the  title  to  the 
property  vested  in  the  Trustees  of  the  Convention. 

Twenty-one  years  after  the  matter  had  first  been  pro- 
posed and  refused,  the  Board  had  determined  to  make 
a  beginning  in  Fair  Haven.  Meanwhile  conditions  had 
greatly  changed — the  population  was  much  larger,  but 
so  many  other  churches  had  been  built  that  the  oppor- 
tunity for  the  Baptists  was  less  favorable.  Brother 
Walker  had  labored  with  good  success  and  gathered  a 
church  of  seventy  members,  with  a  promising  Bible- 
school,  and  a  considerable  amount  had  been  subscribed 
for  the  building  of  a  house  of  worship. 

In  Hartford  a  new  chapel  had  been  built  on  Suffield 
Street,  and  a  mission  of  the  First  church  started.  A 
few  years  afterward  this  was  constituted  an  independent 
church,  but  it  subsequently  returned  to  the  status  of  a 
mission.      The   project  of  starting  the    Asylum   Avenue 


HON.    JAMES    L.    HOWARD. 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION       103 

church  had  been  considered.     The  sum  of  $1,225  had 
been  given  in  aid  to  eight  churches. 

The  Social  Unioti. 

This  year  the  Baptist  Social  Union  was  organized  in 
New  Haven,  July  25,  in  response  to  a  call  issued  by  J. 
L.  Howard,  John  M,  Davis,  Isaac  Bromley  and  others. 
After  organization  the  members  repaired  to  the  New 
Haven  House,  where  they  were  joined  by  a  number  of 
pastors  and  other  invited  guests.  The  speakers  of  the 
evening  were  Rev.  Doctors  Lathrop,  Turnbull  and  Crane, 
Brethren  C.  O.  Spencer,  J.  B.  Hoyt  and  others. 

The  second  meeting  of  the  Union  was  held  in  con- 
nection with  the  Convention  anniversary  in  Norwalk, 
October  18.  From  that  day  to  this  the  meetings  of  the 
Laymen's  Baptist  Social  Union  have  been  a  marked 
feature  of  the  Baptist  anniversaries.  It  would  be  dif- 
ficult to  exaggerate  the  influence  of  this  organization  for 
good  upon  the  work  of  the  Convention.  It  has  greatly 
stimulated  the  interest  of  laymen  in  state  missions,  pro- 
moted acquaintance  among  themselves,  and  so  developed 
a  consciousness  of  their  united  strength.  We  are  sorry 
that  the  narrow  limits  of  this  sketch  prevent  us  from 
gi\nng  an  adequate  account  of  the  large  part  this  Union 
has  taken  in  advancing  the  interests  of  the  Convention. 
It  can  be  said  with  confidence  that  from  this  time  on 
there  was  a  marked  enlargement  of  the  work  of  the  Con- 
vention. 

1872.     The   forty-ninth  anniversary  was   held  with  the 
Waterbury   church.      Hon.    James   L.    Howard 
was  President,  Rev.  J.  A.  Bailey,  Secretary,  and  Ware- 
ham  Griswold,  Treasurer. 

Report  of  the  Board. 

After  only  a  brief  retirement  Brother  Shailer  had 
again  been  taken  into  the  service  of  the  Board,  but  a 


104  HISTORY  OF  THE 

severe  fall  in  February  had  disabled  him  for  further 
work.  The  Board  had  continued  his  salary.  He  had 
now  been  in  the  employ  of  the  Board  for  thirty-one  years. 
Brother  Walker  had  served  through  the  year,  first  in 
Fair  Haven  till  the  church  was  strong  enough  to  call  a 
pastor,  and  then  he  went  to  Plantsville,  where  a  new 
interest  was  starting. 

Colporteur  Work. 

The  first  instance  of  cooperation  on  the  part  of  the 
American  Baptist  Publication  Society  in  the  work  of  the 
Convention  occurred  this  year  in  the  employment  of 
Deacon  H.  G.  Dean  of  Cornwall  as  a  colporteur  in 
Litchfield  county.  His  labors  in  some  instances  had  been 
greatly  blessed,  and  they  illustrate  the  demand  for  this 
special  work  in  the  state.  The  Board  had  spent  $1,710 
in  aid  of  eleven  of  the  weaker  churches. 

Several  new  church  edifices  had  been  built,  the  Wash- 
ington Avenue  and  the  Asylum  Avenue  in  Hartford,  and 
churches  in  New  Canaan,  Brooklyn  and  Groton.  Others 
were  in  process  of  building. 

The  Women  s  Foreign  Missionary  Society. 

This  year  the  minutes  of  the  "Women's  Baptist  Mis- 
sionary Society  of  Connecticut"  were  given  a  place  with 
the  published  proceedings  of  the  Convention.  The  so- 
ciety had  its  origin  in  Fairfield  county.  A  public  meeting 
was  held  in  connection  with  the  Convention  in  Norwalk, 
and  Mrs.  O.  W.  Gates  was  appointed  State  Secretary. 
The  growth  of  the  society  was  phenomenal.  In  October, 
1872,  there  were  thirty-nine  auxiliary  societies  in  the 
state.  From  this  time  on  a  meeting  of  this  society 
has  been  held,  and  has  constituted  one  of  the  features 
of  the  occasion  at  each  anniversary  of  the  Convention. 
It  is  not  possible,  however,  to  make  a  record  of  that 
society  in  this  volume. 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVEN llON       105 
Rev.  Russell  J ennings'  Gifts. 

In  the  report  of  the  Board  for  this  year,  as  also  in  that 
of  last  year  and  occasionally  in  succeeding  years,  atten- 
tion is  called  to  the  large  gifts  of  Mr.  Jennings.  The 
writer  feels  constrained  on  his  own  initiative  to  make 
the  following  comments.  For  many  years  of  his  long 
life  Brother  Jennings  was  engaged  in  the  manufacture 
of  tools,  especially  wood-workers'  bits,  which  his  brother 
had  patented.  That  brother  dying  in  early  manhood, 
Mr.  Jennings  had  inherited  the  works  and  continued  the 
business.  Accumulating  a  large  fortune,  he  was  very  gen- 
erous with  his  money,  but  he  acted  solely  on  his  own  im- 
pulse and  did  not  trust  to  the  judgment  of  the  Board 
of  the  Convention.  It  can  not  be  said  that  his  gifts 
v/ere  always  wisely  bestowed.  The  total  amount  of  his 
beneficence  cannot  be  accurately  stated,  but  in  the  aggre- 
gate it  could  not  have  been  less  than  $100,000. 

Many  of  the  securities  which  he  gave  to  the  churches 
that  he  favored  depreciated  greatly  in  value.  Some  of 
them  became  absolutely  worthless.  In  other  cases  the 
large  endowments  operated  to  render  the  churches  less 
self-helpful,  and  when  these  props  fell  they  became  dis- 
couraged and  weak.  Of  course  if  this  large  sum  had 
been  left  to  the  discretion  of  the  Board  mistakes  might 
have  been  made  in  its  administration,  but  it  is  not  likely 
that  these  would  have  been  so  many.  In  a  few  cases 
only  good  results  have  followed  his  giving,  but  taken  as 
a  whole  no  other  instance  is  known  where  so  large 
benefactions  have  proved  so  ephemeral.  Through  many 
years  Brother  Jennings  retained  the  affection  and  esteem 
of  his  brethren  for  his  learning  and  his  responsiveness 
to  all  appeals  that  touched  him  particularly.  Though  a 
dark  cloud  rested  on  him  in  his  later  years  the  judgment 
of  charity  should  ascribe  this  to  senility  rather  than  to 
any  radical  defect  of  Christian  character. 

This  year  the  Litchfield  Association  dropped  out  of  the 
Convention.  I'he  few  churches  left  united  with  the  Hart- 
ford Association. 


106  HISTORY  OF  THE 

The  Jubilee  Anniversary. 

1873.  This  session  of  the  Convention,  held  in  the  new 
house  of  worship  of  the  Calvary  church,  New 
Haven,  was  especially  memorable,  as  it  was  the  fiftieth 
anniversary.  Hon,  J.  L.  Howard  was  for  the  third  time 
chosen  President,  and  Wareham  Griswold  entered  upon 
the  twenty-third  year  of  his  service  as  Treasurer.  The 
session  became  still  more  memorable  by  reason  of  its 
being  the  first  year  of  the  incumbency  on  the  part  of  the 
Rev.  Dr.  Turnbull  of  the  new  office  of  Superintendent 
of  Missions.  Dr.  Turnbull  also  served  as  Secretary 
and  prepared  the  report  of  the  Board. 

From  the  time  of  this  appointment  the  work  of  the 
Convention  took  on  new  vitality  and  dignity.  Dr.  Turn- 
bull  had  long  been  the  pastor  of  the  First  church,  Hart- 
ford. He  was  known  as  a  man  of  force  and  ability,  and 
one  whose  judgment  might  be  safely  trusted.  When  it 
was  known  that  such  a  man  was  in  the  field,  and  all  over 
the  field,  and  seeing  all  the  conditions  at  first  hand,  pas- 
tors and  laymen  gave  him  their  full  confidence,  and  he 
could  get  from  them  anything  he  asked  for.  Prosperity 
had  already  set  in.  The  appropriations  to  the  churches, 
especially  to  those  that  seemed  to  have  a  future  before 
them,  were  larger  than  ever,  reaching  a  total  of  $3,625. 

Report  of  the  Board. 

This  was  written  by  Dr.  Turnbull  and  was  very  able 
in  its  review  of  the  past  and  its  bright  outlook  into  the 
future.  The  report  pays  a  tender  and  appreciative  tribute 
to  Rev.  J.  A.  Bailey,  who  for  three  years  had  been  Sec- 
retary, and  had  been  chosen  to  the  office  of  Superinten- 
dent of  Missions.* 

Mention  Is  made  In  the  report  of  three  localities  In 
which  Baptist  churches  should  be  planted,  Danielsonville, 
Ansonia  and  East  Bridgeport.  That  an  eftort  for  a  sec- 
ond church  in  Bridgeport  was  not  begun  too  soon  Is  evl- 

*  See  Necrology  in  Appendix. 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONN  ENTION       107 

dent  from  the  fact  that  Rev.  C.  W.  R  ly,  a  missionary 
of  the  Board,  found  125  Baptists  resilient  in  that  por- 
tion of  the  city,  seventy-five  of  whom  v.c;:  members  of 
churches  outside  of  Bridgeport. 

The  report  covers  eight  pages  of  small  type  set  solid 
and  does  not  easily  lend  itself  to  abridgement.  We 
venture  a  few  short  excerpts.  "Some  of  the  churches 
have  been  truly  thoughtful  and  generous.  Among  others 
we  are  greatly  indebted  to  the  members  of  our  Social 
Union  for  direct  pecuniary  aid  in  swelling  the  contribu- 
tions of  the  churches.  Their  generous  bearing  and  sym- 
pathy have  produced  a  good  effect  through  the  state,  and 
if  continued,  as  we  doubt  not  it  will  be,  must  help  to  ele- 
vate the  character  and  standing  of  the  denomination." 
"We  have  on  hand  a  large  and  pressing  work  which 
calls  for  the  utmost  unity  and  efficiency  in  action,  and  an 
amount  of  outlay  in  work  of  which  few  of  us  have  form- 
ed an  adequate  conception.  No  spot  therefore  ought  to 
be  neglected,  no  church  suffered  to  languish,  and  above 
all  to  die,  while  a  united  and  vigorous  effort  must  be 
made  to  plant  the  'banner  of  ordinances'  in  every  part 
of  the  state."  "The  immense  accession  of  foreigners, 
instead  of  being  a  ground  of  discouragement,  ought  to 
furnish  a  powerful  stimulant  in  this  special  emergency 
to  an  increase  of  effort  in  behalf  of  our  beloved  state." 

Out  of  114  churches  only  60  were  present  by  dele- 
gates, and  out  of  19,490  members  not  more  than  150 
were  in  attendance  at  this  the  fiftieth  anniversary.  Yet 
it  was  a  v^ery  enthusiastic  meeting  and  was  the  beginning 
of  a  new  era  in  the  history  of  state  missions.  Several  im- 
portant papers,  prepared  at  the  request  of  the  Board, 
were  presented.  One  of  these,  by  Rev.  C.  B,  Crane, 
then  pastor  of  the  South  church,  Hartford,  was  a  dis- 
cussion in  a  catholic  spirit  of  controverted  questions,  as 
between  the  Baptists  and  other  evangelical  bodies.  It 
is  worthy  of  being  republished  in  pamphlet  form  and  kept 
in  stock  for  distribution.  It  appeared  in  full  in  the  min- 
utes. There  were  two  reports  on  Sunday-school  work 
bv  W.  S.  Bronson  and  Rev.  E.  H.  Bronson.     In  addition 


108  HISTORY  OF  THE 

to  these  a  monumental  paper  on  early  missionary  move- 
ments in  the  state  was  presented  by  W.  H.  Potter.  This 
is  reproduced  with  considerable  abridgement  in  the  intro- 
ductory chapter  of  this  volume. 

Sunday-school  IVork. 

It  should  be  stated  here  that  at  last  year's  session  a 
large  committee  on  the  work  of  the  Sunday-schools,  in- 
cluding two  members  from  each  association,  had  been 
appointed  with  W.  S.  Bronson  as  Chairman.  At  a  meet- 
ing of  this  committee  it  had  been  resolved  to  secure  a 
brother  to  labor  in  this  particular  field  and  Brother  E. 
H.  Bronson  had  been  thus  appointed,  his  salary  being 
provided  by  the  different  schools.  The  first  report  was 
made  to  the  Convention  this  year.  It  was  received  with 
hearty  approval,  and  the  Committee  was  encouraged  to 
continue  its  work. 

1874.      i'he  fif^ -lirsl:  annual  meeting  was  held  with  the 
cl.  ,;-ch  in  Putnam.     There  was  no  change  in  the 
offices  of  1  !.    'lent,  Secretary  or  Treasurer. 

Report  of  the  Board. 

This  report,  prepared  by  Dr.  Turnbull,  occupies  nine 
pages  of  the  minutes  and  was  full  of  wise  suggestion  and 
inspiring  incidents.  Speaking  of  the  restricted  sums  given 
to  the  twenty-six  churches  which  had  received  aid,  the 
doctor  says:  "The  resources  of  our  churches  are  limited. 
Some  are  poorly  trained  and  the  rest  have  not  attained 
anything  like  perfection  in  the  miatter  of  s^'^stematic  bene- 
ficence. In  all,  too,  we  find  some  persons  upon  whose 
minds  the  idea  of  thoughtful,  disinterested  giving  has 
not  even  dawned." 

Fair  Haven  had  bought  a  lot  and  begun  the  erection 
of  a  building  to  cost  $10,000.  East  Bridgeport  had 
purchased  a  house  of  worship  which,  with  repairs,  would 
cost   $14,000.        Danielson   and  Ansonia   were   making 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION       109 

rapid  progress.  The  necessity  of  laying  to  heart  the  wise 
words  which  follow  has  not  wholly  lapsed  with  the  pass- 
ing years:  "The  plan  of  a  more  generous  outlay  for  a 
certain  period  of  years,  three  or  four  or  more,  for  newly- 
formed  mission  churches  in  important  places  has  already 
proved  our  wisest  policy  and  in  the  end  will  be  found 
economical." 

Arrangements  were  made  for  the  completion  of  the 
special  Jubilee  Fund  of  $20,000. 

Sunday-school  Work. 

The  entire  evening  of  Tuesday  was  given  to  the  con- 
sideration of  the  work  in  the  Sunday-schools.  The  re- 
ports of  the  Secretary  and  the  Freasurer  of  the  special 
committee  which  had  this  matter  in  charge  were  read. 
Rev.  W.  C.  Walker,  who  was  employed  in  this  work, 
gave  an  account  of  his  labors,  and  speeches  were  made 
by  several  of  the  brethren.  Over  a  thousand  dollars  had 
been  received  and  expended  by  this  committee  in  the 
prosecution  of  its  special  work. 

Three  churches  were  received  into  fellowship :  Daniel- 
son,  Meriden  German  and  East  Bridgeport. 

1875.      The  Convention  met  with  the  First  church,  Hart- 
ford, October  19.     There  was  no  change  made 
in  the  offices  of  President,  Secretary  or  Treasurer. 

Report  of  the  Board. 

This  report,  like  previous  ones  from  Dr.  Turnbull, 
occupying  more  than  half  of  the  space  given  to  the  min- 
utes of  the  proceedings,  is  full  of  vital  interest.  The 
following  is  taken  from  the  body  of  the  report  without 
quotation  marks : 

Thirty-three  churches  (named  in  the  report)  have 
been  aided  by  missionary  effort  and  money  grants  given 
ranging  from  $25  to  $500,  and  in  one  case  to  $609.  We 
gratefully   acknowledge   the   handsome    contributions    of 


no  HISTORY  OF  THE 

Rev.   R.   Jennings,    Captain   Morgan,   J.    B.   Hoyt   and 

others,  as  in  past  times,  in  making  up  the  salary  of 
the  Secretary  of  the  Convention  and  helping  us  In  many 
ways.  East  and  west  we  are  united  in  the  work  as  never 
before.  So  far  as  they  can  pledge  the  whole  body  by 
successive  resolutions  of  approval  and  cheer,  followed 
by  a  larger  generosity  and  the  most  energetic  work  for 
the  last  three  or  four  years,  the  representatives  of  the 
churches  have  pledged  the  entire  denomination  In  the 
state,  and  all  are  expected,  and  we  trust  prepared,  to  con- 
tribute to  its  success. 

While  it  is  an  easy  thing  to  constitute  little  churches 
and  Sunday-schools,  It  is  by  no  means  easy  to  sustain 
them,  and  these  may  require  for  their  permanent  success 
years  of  generous  giving  and  patient  toil.  Today  we 
could  organize  a  dozen  such  churches  In  places  where 
we  ought  to  have  had  them  years  ago,  but  we  have  not 
dared  to  do  so  for  want  of  means.  We  have  secured 
In  the  last  eighteen  months  only  half  of  the  proposed 
Jubilee  Fund  of  $20,000.   The  rest  must  come  in  due  time. 

By  vote  of  the  Convention  and  with  the  entire  assent 
of  the  appointed  preacher.  Rev.  C.  A.  Hubbard,  the 
annual  sermon  was  given  up  and  the  evening  session 
devoted  to  a  thorough  discussion  of  the  report,  which 
was  endorsed  in  every  item  and  particular. 

The    State    Sunday-school    Committee 

reported  through  its  Agent  and  Secretary,  Rev.  W.  C. 
Walker.  Advancement  had  been  made.  Last  year  there 
were  126  schools  with  15,000  attendants;  this  year  136 
schools  with  17,718  attendants.  Still  there  were  52,565 
children  of  the  state  outside  of  any  Bible-school.  The 
money  contributed  for  this  branch  of  work  was '$1,161, 
there  remaining  uncollected  from  the  assessments  levied 
on  the  associations  $803. 

The  Treasurer  of  the  Convention  reported  that  be 
had  received  for  general  purposes  $5,723  and  for  the 
Jubilee  Fund  $7,938. 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION       111 

1876.  The  Convention  met  with  the  Second  church, 
Siiffield.  Hon.  J.  L.  Howard  and  Rev.  Dr. 
lurnbull  were  again  chosen  to  the  offices  of  President 
and  Secretary.  The  decease  of  Brother  Wareham  Gris- 
wold,  for  so  many  years  the  faithful  Treasurer,  made 
necessary  the  choice  of  a  successor.  The  vacant  place 
was  filled  by  the  election  of  Brother  James  Lockwood. 

fVareham  Griswold. 

This  devoted  brother  had  fulfilled  a  remarkably  long 
term  of  service  as  the  Treasurer  of  the  Convention — 
a  term  extending  over  a  period  of  thirty-four  years,  or 
longer  than  a  generation.  The  duties  of  this  office  he 
discharged  with  most  conscientious  fidelity  and  exactness, 
and  with  unfailing  patience  and  urbanity.  For  it  all  he 
sought  no  recompense  but  the  privilege  of  serving  the 
cause  that  was  so  near  his  heart.  He  did  more  than 
was  required  of  him.  He  supplied  out  of  his  own  re- 
sources the  money  needed  to  carry  on  the  work  through 
the  year  between  the  annual  meetings.  The  following 
resolution  was  passed  by  the  Board: 

''Resolved,  That  we  record  our  sense  of  great  personal 
loss  in  the  removal  by  death  of  one  who  by  his  virtues  as  a 
Christian  gentleman  ever  held  our  sincerest  love  and  re- 
spect; that  we  recognize  the  indebtedness  of  the  Baptists 
of  Connecticut  to  him  for  his  thirty-four  years  of  service 
as  Treasurer  of  the  Convention,  and  for  the  great 
sagacity,  patience  and  fidelity,  attended  with  frequent 
personal  sacrifice,  with  which  he  discharged  the  duties 
of  this  important  office." 

Rev.  Elisha  Cushman. 

This  good  brother,  who  had  for  twenty-five  years 
filled  the  laborious  office  of  Secretary,  had  also  passed 
away  within  the  year.  It  is  hardly  possible  that  the 
name  of  any  other  man  will  ever  appear  again  so  many 


112  HISTORY  OF  THE 

times  on  the  calendar  of  the  annual  meetings  of  the  Con- 
vention.    The  Board  adopted  the  following  minute: 

""Resolved^  That  we  will  ever  hold  in  high  appreciation 
his  character  as  a  pure  and  consistent  Christian,  an 
earnest  and  successful  minister  of  the  Gospel,  and  a 
genial  and  faithful  friend;  that  we  hold  in  grateful  re- 
membrance his  services  as  Secretary  of  the  Convention 
during  twenty-four  years,  and  his  valuable  influence 
through  the  columns  of  the  Christian  Secretary  in  all  of 
our   denominational   interests." 

There  is  no  further  record  than  the  above  even  in 
the  minutes  of  the  Hartford  Association  of  the  lives  of 
these  eminently  useful  and  beloved  brethren.  They 
were  too  well  known  and  too  highly  esteemed  to  require 
eulogy. 

President  Howard's  Address. 

At  the  opening  of  this  session  of  the  Convention,  which 
proved  to  mark  the  last  year  of  his  service,  Mr.  Howard 
made  an  address,  the  first  during  his  term  of  office.  He 
showed  that  there  had  been  a  gratifying  increase  in  the 
contributions  of  the  churches  and  in  the  work  accom- 
plished, especially  since  Dr.  Turnbull's  acceptance  of  the 
superintendency  of  missions.  Among  other  good  things 
he  said:  "While  contributions  do  not  show  our  real  pros- 
perity, there  is  so  intimate  a  connection  between  a  man's 
heart  and  his  money  as  to  make  it  a  strong  indication  of 
the  piety  of  the  churches.  Their  faith  is  shown  by  their 
works,  so  that  notwithstanding  the  death  of  so  many 
leading  brethren,  the  severity  of  the  times,  and  other 
embarrassments,  we  have  no  reason  to  be  ashamed  of 
our  record,  and  the  outlook  for  the  future  has  its  hope- 
ful aspect."  As  a  confirmation  of  these  words  Mr, 
Howard  was  able  to  add:  "We  have  yet  greater  reason 
to  rejoice  in  the  spiritual  work  and  growth  of  our 
churches  as  shown  in  the  addition  of  1,388  by  baptism. 
This  was  an  increase  of  four  hundred  over  any  other 
vear  in  this  decade. 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION       113 

Report  of  the  Board. 

This  report,  the  last  but  one  prepared  by  Dr.  Turn- 
bull,  and  the  very  last  presented  in  person,  has  in  it  a 
minor  note  of  disappointment  on  account  of  the  debt 
he  was  compelled  to  record.  It  was  nevertheless  full 
of  hope  and  inspiration  for  the  future.  The  churches 
under  the  care  of  the  Board  had  made  material  gains. 
Ansonia  was  building  and  had  increased  its  membership 
in  church  and  school.  Danielson  had  strong  hopes  of 
building  soon.  East  Bridgeport  had  paid  all  its  expenses; 
its  pastor's  wife,  Mrs.  Ray,  had  the  largest  Bible-class 
in  the  state.  Wethersfield  had  commenced  to  build  a 
new  house  of  worship.  Tariffville  had  already  dedicated 
an  inexpensive  but  beautiful  chapel  in  place  of  the  one 
destroyed  by  fire.  Thirty-four  churches  in  all  had  been 
aided.  This  was  more  than  one-fourth  of  all  the  Bap- 
tist churches  in  the  state.  We  quote  one  paragraph  of 
this  report: 

"There  will  be  some  failure  of  course.  Old  and 
feeble  churches,  and  even  a  new  one  occasionally  will  die 
out  in  spite  of  all  that  we  can  do,  but  that  has  been 
the  case  from  the  very  beginning,  and  in  greater  degree 
formerly  than  now.  We  must  be  cautious,  indeed,  and 
economical,  discouraging  all  rash  projects  and  all  costly 
expenditures  and  all  church  debts,  gathering  the  requisite 
experience  as  we  go,  and  occasionally,  as  in  ordinary  life, 
by  painful  disappointment.  But  as  incessant  vigilance 
is  the  price  of  liberty^  so  here  incessant  giving  and  work- 
ing is  the  price  of  success." 

Sunday-school  Work. 

The  evening  session  of  Tuesday  was  given  to  the  re- 
port of  the  committee  on  Sunday-school  work,  of  which 
W.  S.  Bronson  was  the  chairman  and  Rev.  W.  C. 
Walker  the  field  agent.  There  had  been  an  increase  of 
ten  in  the  number  of  schools,  and  in  that  of  scholars 
1,781.  The  Treasurer  reported  receipts  $1,234.11,  debt 
$393.28,  unpaid  apportionments  $780.65. 


114  HISTORY  OF  THE 

At  the  Wednesday  morning  session  Dr.  Phelps,  who 
had  purchased  the  Christian  Secretary  on  the  decease  of 
Mr.  Cushman,  asked  the  continued  interest  of  the  breth- 
ren in  this  paper,  promising,  we  have  no  doubt,  that  It 
would  still  remain  as  it  had  been  so  many  years,  the 
faithful  though  unsubsidlzed  agent  of  the  Convention. 

It  was  with  the  Second  church  of  Suffield,  Rev.  J.  R. 
Stubbert,  pastor,  that  the  Convention  had  been  meeting. 
The  students  of  the  Suffield  Academy  were  attendants 
here,  and  gracious  revivals,  in  which  many  students  had 
been  converted,  had  occurred.  The  following  resolution 
was  offered  by  Brother  J.  L.  Denison : 

"Resolved,  That  we  recognize  the  position  which  God 
has  given  this  church  as  a  revival  church,  and  the  im- 
portance of  its  influence  on  the  denomination  through  our 
sons  and  daughters  who  as  students  attend  the  academy; 
therefore  we  earnestly  ask  for  the  church  and  the  school 
a  special  place  in  the  prayers  of  all  our  people." 


1877.  The  fifty-fourth  annual  meeting  was  held  with 
the  Central  church,  Norwich,  Rev.  J.  Davies, 
pastor.  It  was  a  memorable  meeting  on  account  of  the 
retirement  from  the  presidency  of  Mr.  Howard  after 
six  years  of  service,  and  also  because  it  marked  the  close 
of  the  labors  of  Rev.  Dr.  Turnbull  as  Superintendent  of 
Missions.  He  had  prepared  his  last  report,  but  was  too 
ill  to  be  present.  President  Howard  read  a  note  from 
him  in  which  he  said,  "No  words  of  mine  can  give  an 
adequate  idea  of  the  importance  I  attach  to  our  work 
In  this  state."  Before  the  minutes  of  this  meeting  had 
gone  through  the  press  Dr.  Turnbull  had  been  called 
to  his  reward  in  Heaven. 

It  will  be  seen  that  Hon.  J.  L.  Howard  had  held  the 
office  of  President  through  the  years  of  Dr.  TurnbuH's 
term  of  service.  The  two  were  the  most  intimate  per- 
sonal friends.  Their  collaboration  had  made  this  period 
of  six  years  the  most  successful  that  the  Convention 
had  hitherto  passed. 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION       115 

At  this  meeting,  as  Mr.  Howard  declined  reelection, 
Rev.  A.  G.  Palmer,  D.D.,  of  Stonington  was  chosen 
President,  Rev.  Dr.  Turnbull  (whose  recovery  was 
looked  for),  Superintendent  of  Missions,  and  James 
Lockwood,   Treasurer. 

Report  of  the  Board. 

In  this  report.  Dr.  Turnbull's  last  message  to  the 
churches,  there  is  much  of  special  interest,  but  little  of  it 
can  find  space  in  this  record.  We  give  one  valued  extract 
from  the  general  statement: 

"As  in  man  soul  and  body,  spirit  and  form,  correspond 
in  a  marvelous  way,  all  the  thoughts  and  impulses  of  the 
one  being  reproduced  in  corresponding  changes  and  move- 
ments of  the  other,  so  in  religion  spirit  and  form  are 
really,  and  must  be  one.  This  exterior  of  expression  or 
language  therefore,  like  the  hands  of  a  watch,  reveals 
the  power  and  spirit  within,  and  hence  determines  char- 
acter and  destiny.  'By  thy  words  thou  shalt  be  justified, 
and  by  thy  words  thou  shalt  be  condemned.'  'Inasmuch 
as  ye  did  it  unto  one  of  these,  ye  did  it  unto  me.' 

"In  this  connection  giving  is  the  most  important  part 
of  expression,  especially  giving  to  the  Lord's  poor,  for 
this  essentially  is  giving  to  the  Lord  himself.  Giving  in 
fact  is  worship,  this  being  the  real  meaning  of  the  word. 
No  Christian  man  or  church  can  live,  except  in  a  doleful, 
deathly  way,  who  lives  to  himself.  It  is  on  this  ground 
that  we  attach  so  much  importance  to  church  finances, 
especially  to  gifts  of  beneficence.  Prayers  and  alms 
together  go  up  for  a  memorial  before  God.  This  is  the 
true  touchstone  of  character,  the  unfailing  index  of  pros- 
perity." 

Aid  had  been  extended  to  twenty-five  churches,  from 
all  of  which  there  came  a  more  or  less  encouraging  re- 
port. Rev.  Curtis  Keeney  had  been  doing  the  work  of 
an  evangelist,  supported  financially  by  Captain  E.  Mor- 
gan. The  Washington  Avenue  church,  Hartford,  owing 
to   dissensions  among  the  members,   was   entering  upon 


116  HISTORY  OF  THE 

a  period  of  struggle  and  was  burdened  with  a  heavy 
debt.  The  Board  did  what  seemed  possible  at  the  time 
for  this  church.*  The  church  in  Plantsville  was  nearly 
five  thousand  dollars  in  debt,  but  through  the  labors  of 
its  pastor,  Rev.  T.  A.  T.  Hanna,  generously  seconded  by 
Mr.  J.  Howard  Plant,  a  member  of  another  church,  half 
of  the  debt  had  been  raised. 

Changes  in  the  State. 

The  report  tells  us  that  the  state  had  increased  in 
population,  but  altogether  through  the  immigration  of 
foreigners,  producing  almost  a  revolution  in  the  char- 
acter and  distribution  of  the  inhabitants.  "Over  one 
hundred  towns,  some  of  them  the  oldest  in  the  state, 
have  so  declined  that  it  is  found  almost  impossible  to 
sustain  churches  or  even  common  schools.  In  all  de- 
nominations many  of  the  churches  have  died  out.  Large 
numbers  of  our  own  members  can  be  found  in  villages 
where  we  have  no  churches,  and  unless  we  lay  ourselves 
out  by  larger  expenditures  and  patient  work  we  shall 
suffer  immense  loss,  the  amount  of  which  will  appall  us 
when  perhaps  it  will  be  too  late." 

Very  earnest  addresses  were  made  on  the  report  by 
Rev'.  Drs.  Lathrop,  Crane,  Bronson,  Rev.  T.  A.  T. 
Hanna  and  others. 

Sunday-school  Report. 

The  entire  evening  was  occupied  by  reports  on  the 
work  of  the  Sunday-school  Committee  and  its  agent.  Rev. 
W.  C.  Walker.  Brother  Walker  had  done  an  inimeiise 
amount  of  labor.  He  had  reached  nearly  every  church 
in  the  state,  giving  to  the  148  schools  and  churches  more 
than  two  services  each,  on  the  average,  during  the  year. 
He  had  traveled  within  this  small  state  nearly  seven 
thousand  miles  in  the  discharge  of  these  duties.     In  the 

*  This  church  continued  to  decline  until  the  year  ot   its   reincorporation   as   th;;   Me- 
morial Church,  and  the  settlement  of  Rev.   H.   M.  Thompson  as  its  pastor  in  1884. 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION       117 

number  of  schools  and  attendants  there  had  been  no 
increase.  The  1  reasurer,  Silas  Chapman,  Jr.,  reported 
$1,346  received. 

Robert  Turnbull,  D.D. 

"It  is  our  painful  duty  to  announce  the  death  on  Tues- 
day, Nov.  20,  1877,  of  our  beloved  and  honored  Secre- 
tary, Dr.  Turnbull.  Born  in  Whiteburn,  Scotland,  in 
1799,  educated  in  Glasgow  University;  instructed  by 
Chalmers  and  Wilson,  and  in  theology  by  Dick  and 
Mitchell;  preaching  for  a  brief  period  as  a  Baptist  min- 
ister in  Scotland  and  England,  he  came  to  this  country 
in  1833  and  settled  in  Danbury,  Connecticut.  He  labored 
in  Danbury  two  years;  in  Detroit,  Michigan,  two  years; 
in  the  South  Baptist  church,  Hartford,  two  years;  in 
Boylston  Street,  Boston,  six  years,  and  in  the  First  Bap- 
tist church,  Hartford,  twenty-four  years,  from  1845  till 
1869.  His  ministry  in  all  these  churches  was  uniformly 
successful.  A  born  evangelist,  he  was  instrumental  in 
the  inauguration  of  frequent  and  powerful  revivals  of 
religion  and  in  the  conversion  to  Christ  of  a  great  multi- 
tude of  sinners.  A  diligent  and  thorough  student,  his 
preaching  was  of  the  highest  order,  preeminently  adapted 
to  promote  the  growth  of  Christian  believers  in  knowl- 
edge and  grace.  While  not  neglecting  his  pastoral  duties, 
he  found  time  to  produce  many  books  of  great  and  per- 
manent value.  The  marked  advance  in  intelligence  of 
the  Baptist  ministry  and  laity  of  America  is  largely  due 
to  his  example  and  influence.  Thoroughly  sound  in 
doctrine,  he  always  sought  new  and  greater  light.  Con- 
serving the  old,  he  welcomed  the  new.  He  was  as  in- 
genuous as  a  child,  deferential  even  to  his  Inferiors,  full 
of  brotherly  love  and  charity,  and  singularly  loyal  in 
heart  and  life  to  the  personal  Christ. 

"In  1872  he  was  elected  by  the  Board  of  our  Con- 
vention to  fill  the  office  of  Secretary,  the  former  Secre- 
tary, Rev.  J.  A.  Bailey,  having  been  compelled  to  resign 
on  account  of  failing  health.     How  well  he  served  the 


118  HISTORY  OF  THE 

churches  in  this  capacity  during  the  past  years  is  known  to 
us  all.  Never  for  an  hour  did  he  spare  himself.  The 
cause  to  which  he  consecrated  himself  was  ever  on  his 
heart.  He  was  the  devoted  and  beloved  bishop  of  us 
all.  His  plans  were  broad,  his  methods  wise,  his  zeal 
unflagging,  his  sacrifices  great.  Now  that  his  work  is 
done,  we  can  pronounce  it  well  done. 

"When  he  was  told  that  he  must  shortly  die  he  found 
to  his  surprise  and  delight  that  he  had  no  preparation 
to  make.  He  was  already  prepared  to  meet  his  God. 
To  live  had  been  Christ,  to  die  would  be  gain.  Now 
that  the  heavens  have  received  him,  we  have  only  to  say 
in  the  words  of  the  beloved  disciple,  'Blessed  are  the 
dead  which  die  in  the  Lord  from  henceforth:  yea,  saith 
the  Spirit,  that  they  may  rest  from  their  labors,  and  their 
works  do  follow  them.'  " — Rev.  C.  B.  Crane. 

1878.  The  fifty-fifth  annual  meeting  w^as  held  with  the 
First  Meriden  church,  October  15.  Rev.  Edward 
Lathrop  was  cho.en  President,  Rev.  T.  A.  T.  Hanna, 
Secretary,  and  James  Lockwood,  Treasurer.  Rev.  Dr. 
Palmer  made  cuc  opening  address,  referring  to  the  early 
history  of  the  Baptists  in  Connecticut,  relating  as  only 
he  could  have  done,  many  incidents  that  had  come  to  his 
knowledge  of  the  early  struggles  of  the  Baptists  for 
existence.  The  Board  had  elected  Brother  Hanna  to 
act  as  Secretary  and  Superintendent  till  the  Convention 
should  nieet,  and  he  presented  the 

Report  of  the  Board. 

This  report  mentions  the  death  of  Revs.  William 
Biddle,  William  Denison,  Samuel  M.  \Vhiting  and  Wil- 
liam D.  Morgan.  Rev.  William  Denison  had  served 
several  years  as  missionary  for  the  Convention,  and  m.ust 
have  attained  a  ripe  old  age.  Pie  had  been  a  very  useful 
man  and  enjoyed  the  confidence  of  his  brethren.  Rev. 
Samuel  M.  Whiting  had  spent  his  early  ministry  as  a 
missionary  in  Burma   for  some  years.     He  had  been  a 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION       119 

pastor  in  Vermont,  and  later  a  very  successful  pastor  to 
the  young  church  in  Fair  Haven,  where  his  memory  is 
still  held  in  grateful  remembrance.  His  widow  filled 
for  many  years  most  acceptably  the  position  of  State 
Secretary  of  the  Women's  Baptist  IVIissionary  Society. 

Brother  Hanna  had  been  engaged  to  give  only  a  por- 
tion of  his  time  to  the  work  of  the  Board.  Little  had 
been  attempted  at  direct  missionary  work,  and  no  new 
enterprise  had  been  started.  After  the  death  of  Dr. 
TurnbuU,  the  experienced  and  efficient  Secretary,  it  had 
been  deemed  better  to  hasten  slowly.  The  weak  churches 
had  been  aided  to  sustain  their  pastors.  The  two 
churches  in  New  Hartford  and  Canton  had  opened  their 
chapels  again,  both  served  by  Rev.  R.  H.  Bolles.  The 
Ansonia  church  was  doing  well  under  the  care  of  Pastor 
A.  H.  Ball.  Plantsville  had  been  helped  by  a  generous 
gift  from  J.  B.  Hoyt.  The  Board  had  finished  the  year 
without  a  debt. 

RihJe-school  fVork. 

The  sixth  report  of  the  special  committee  on  this 
work  was  presented  and  showed  the  same  indefatigable 
labors  performed  by  the  agent,  Rev.  W.  C.  Walker, 
with  the  same  answering  results.  The  treasurer  had 
received  $1,183.61,  and  reported  $905  behind  on  appor- 
tionment. As  this  work  was  the  next  year  merged  again  in 
the  general  work  of  the  Convention  we  reserve  further 
account  of  it  till  then. 

A  long  and  earnest  discussion  on  the  future  work  of 
the  Convention  was  participated  in  by  the  leading  pastors 
and  laymen.  The  loss  of  the  services  of  the  beloved 
"bishop"  of  the  Baptist  churches  was  deeply  felt.  The 
election  of  a  Secretary  who  should  serve  also  as  Superin- 
tendent of  Missions  was  finally  left  to  the  action  of  the 
Board.  That  body  must  have  made  choice  of  Brother 
Hanna  at  its  first  meeting  after  the  adjournment  of  the 
Convention,  for  his  name  appears  on  the  first  page  of 
the    minutes.      Treasurer    Lockwood    reported    that    he 


120  HISTORY  OF  THE     " 

had  received  from  all  sources  $5,000   for  general  pur- 
poses and  $118  for  Church  Building  Fund. 

1879.  The  fifty-sixth  annual  meeting  was  held  with  the 
Second  Danbury  church,  Dr.  A.  C.  Hubbard, 
pastor,  October  14.  Rev.  A.  J.  Sage  was  President, 
Rev.  T.  A.  T.  Hanna,  Secretary,  and  James  Lockwood, 
Treasurer. 

Report  of  the  Board. 

The  report  tells  us  that  tv/entj'-five  of  the  pastors  of 
the  state  had  volunteered  to  hold  special  services  in 
eighteen  of  the  smaller  churches,  and  in  most  cases  their 
labors  had  been  crowned  with  success  in  the  reviving  of  the 
churches  and  in  the  conversion  of  souls.  Allusion  was  made 
in  the  report  to  the  work  for  Sunday-schools  which  had 
been  done  for  several  years  by  the  special  committee. 
The  Board  had  placed  in  the  field  for  several  weeks  Rev. 
E.  M.  Jerome  to  do  the  same  kind  of  work.  It  had  been 
intended  that  the  two  brethren,  Walker  and  Jerome, 
though  acting  independently  and  under  different  direction, 
should  yet  work  in  harmony. 

Eighteen  churches  had  been  aided  to  the  amount  of 
$1,825.  Captain  Morgan  had  done  excellent  service  to 
four  of  the  smaller  churches,  Pendleton  Flill,  Lake's 
Pond,  Chesterfield  and  Salem,  having  encouraged  them 
to  build  parsonages  by  making  a  liberal  gift  himself.  The 
brethren  of  these  churches  had  furnished  much  of  the 
material  and  labor,  and  thus  comfortable  homes  were 
provided  for  the  pastors  without  very  great  outlay.  This 
proved  a  great  boon,  for  the  payment  of  rent  makes  a 
large  inroad  on  the  small  salary  paid  on  such  fields. 

Mention  was  made  in  the  report  of  the  work  for 
Sunday-schools,  and  it  was  suggested  that  this  should 
be  prosecuted  in  the  future  under  the  direct  management 
of  the  Board.  The  matter  was  freely  discussed  on  the 
floor.  The  special  committee  on  this  work  was  not  re- 
appointed. It  seems  proper  to  give  at  this  point  a  resume 
of  what  had  been  accomplished  in  the  last  six  years. 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION      121 
Resume  of  the  Bible-school  IFork — i8'j2-i8']g. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Convention  In  1872  a  special 
committee  of  twelve,  two  from  each  association,  was  ap- 
pointed to  consider  the  expediency  of  organizing  a  special 
department  of  work  for  the  Sunday-schools  of  the  state. 
Of  this  committee  Brother  W.  S.  Bronson  of  Hartford 
was  made  chairman.  The  committee  met  soon  after  in 
New  Haven  and  mapped  out  its  plans.  A  special  mis- 
sionary was  to  be  employed,  his  salary  to  be  paid  by 
the  Sunday-schools  of  the  state.  Mr.  Edward  H.  Bron- 
son was  chosen  for  this  service.  His  illness  had  pre- 
vented him  from  devoting  his  entire  time  to  the  work, 
but  he  had  given  some  months  to  It,  and  In  1873  the 
committee  was  able  to  report  substantial  progress.  Thus 
the  new  enterprise  was  fairly  launched.  In  1874  the 
committee  reported  that  its  missionary  had  visited  one- 
half  of  the  schools  in  the  state,  being  everywhere  en- 
couraged and  calling  forth  the  confidence  of  both  teach- 
ers and  scholars.  He  had  also  with  the  help  of  the  pas- 
tors held  four  Sunday-school  Institutes  with  great  profit 
to  all  in  attendance.  He  had  resigned,  however,  to  enter 
a  pastorate  and  the  choice  of  a  successor  had  fallen  on 
Rev.  W.  C.  Walker.  In  six  weeks'  service  that  year  the 
latter  had  given  full  proof  of  his  special  fitness  for  such 
work. 

The  story  of  this  work  grows  in  Interest  year  by  year. 
An  extract  from  the  report  of  Brother  Walker's  first 
full  year  of  work  will  give  an  Idea  of  what  he  accomp- 
plished  In  the  five  years  of  this  kind  of  labor: 

"Our  worker  has  given  his  whole  time  and  energies 
to  this  kind  of  Christian  service:  ( 1 )  by  communicating 
with  all  the  Bible-schools  of  the  state,  giving  required 
information  as  to  work  done,  fields  of  labor,  etc:  (2) 
by  personal  visitations,  reaching  every  church  in  the 
state  but  one,  and  every  mission-school  but  two,  thirty 
different  places  twice  and  several  others  two  to  four 
times  for  special  service,  assisting  in  the  reorganization 
of  nine  schools  in  connection  with  feeble  churches  that 


122  HISTORY  OF  THE 

had  no  schools  a  year  ago,  and  organizing  five  new  mis- 
sion-schools; (3)  by  supplying  feeble  churches  on  the 
Sabbath,  and  by  attending  Sunday-school  conventions, 
institutes  and  associations  to  promote  the  general  inter- 
ests of  our  work.  Religious  meetings  attended,  371; 
miles  traveled,  5,371;  sermons  and  addresses,  283;  let- 
ters written,  500.  Some  of  the  results  of  this  work  are 
seen  in  these  figures:  last  year,  126  schools,  15,000 
scholars;  this  year,   138  schools,  17,738  scholars." 

Brother  Walker  continued  this  work  with  equal  zeal 
and  assiduity  the  years  that  followed.  An  average  of 
about  $1,200  was  received  each  year  for  expenses,  but 
there  was  an  increasing  indebtedness  owing  to  the  failure 
of  some  schools  in  meeting  their  moderate  assessments. 
One  can  not  read  these  reports  without  the  conviction 
that  very  great  good  was  accomplished  by  the  happy 
combination  of  a  committee  of  enthusiastic  men  of  which 
Brother  Bronson  was  the  efficient  head,  with  a  worker 
on  the  field  such  as  Brother  Walker,  who  had  peculiar 
and  unusual  qualifications  for  the  task  assigned  him.  It 
seems  a  pity  that  work  so  well  begun  did  not  continue 
longer.  Had  the  financial  support  been  larger  and  more 
reliable  it  might  have  lasted  to  this  day. 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION       123 


Chapter  VIII. 

i88o-i88g. 

1880.  The  Convention  met  with  the  First  church, 
Bridgeport.  Rev.  A.  J.  Sage  was  President, 
Rev.  T.  A.  T.  Hanna,  Secretary,  and  James  Lockwood, 
Treasurer.  President  Sage  in  his  opening  address  called 
attention  to  the  variety  of  interests  entertained  during 
the  sessions  of  the  Convention.  "Thus,  in  their  social 
and  religious  aspects,  our  annual  gatherings  resemble 
the  great  feasts  at  Jerusalem,  in  which  all  the  people 
meet  to  worship  before  the  Lord  and  to  consider  the 
interests  of  His  kingdom."  These  gatherings  have  lately 
been  designated  as  the  "Connecticut  Baptist  Anniver- 
saries." 

Report  of  the  Board. 

In  the  report  the  condition  of  the  aided  churches  was 
regarded  as  favorable.  There  had  been  granted  to  the 
churches  $3,300,  and  spent  for  secretary  and  missionaries 
i  1,540.  Brother  Walker  had  visited  and  labored  in 
East  Killingly,  Stafford,  Baltic,  Tariffville,  Pendleton 
Hill,  Winsted,  Ledyard,  Thomaston  and  Cheshire.  It 
is  noticeable  that  the  Board  was  not  unmindful  of  Win- 
sted and  Thomaston,  though  Winsted  had  to  wait  ten 
years  for  actual  work.  In  Thomaston  nothing  looking 
to  permanence  has  ever  been  done,  and  conditions  are 
so  fixed  there  now  that  probably  nothing  will  ever  be 
attempted  by  Baptists.  We  are  told  that  Elder  Swan 
"had  spent  nearly  two  months  in  Ledyard  and  endeav- 
ored to  gather  up  the  fragments  there,  but  he  found  little 
encouragement."      It  is  well  that  in  spite  of  the  "little 


124  HISTORY  OF  THE 

encouragement"  Ledyard  has  not  been  abandoned 
through  the  more  than  twenty-five  years  since  that  time. 
It  is  from  this  field  through  the  hands  of  a  lady  not 
herself  a  Baptist,  and  personally  unknown  to  the  mis- 
sionaries, that  there  has  recently  come  to  the  Convention 
in  the  time  of  its  sorest  need  the  largest  legacy  ever  yet 
left  to  that  body. 

A    Year   of  Legacies. 

The  Eber  Dunham  legacy  of  54,500,  the  interest  to 
be  spent  in  aid  of  Willington,  Mansfield,  Andover  and 
Tolland,  was  paid  into  the  treasury.  There  was  also  a 
legacy  from  Lucinda  Newton  of  $1,250  for  Cheshire, 
and  one  of  $50  from  James  Perry  oF  Columbia  for  the 
ordinary  work  of  the  Convention. 

Bible-school   JVork. 

The  report  of  the  Board  says  of  the  Bible-school  work 
in  the  state :  "Wherever  the  missionaries  have  gone  they 
have  made  it  a  part  of  their  work  to  visit  the  school  in 
each  place  and  to  arouse  the  teachers  to  more  zeal. 
Institutes  have  been  held  in  various  places.  The  schools 
have  contributed  more  liberally  the  past  year  to  this 
branch  of  our  work." 

In  the  discussions  on  the  floor  this  subject  had  a  large 
place.  Mr.  >V.  S.  Bronson  offered  a  series  of  resolutions, 
of  Avhich  the  following  was  one: 

"Resolved,  That  the  Executive  Committee  be  so  co?f. 
stituted  that  one  section  of  the  body  shall  have  super- 
vision of  the  church  work  and  another  section  of  the 
Bible-school  work,  and  that  both  sections  shall  constitute 
one  committee  for  mutual  consultation  and  cooperation." 

As  there  is  no  reference  in  the  next  year's  report  to 
these  resolutions,  we  conclude  that  the  Board  did  not 
regard  them  as  practicable.  There  being  now  an  avail- 
able fund  for  starting  a  new  interest  in  Cheshire,  the 
Board  was  recommended  to  take  steps  to  this  end.     The 


CONNECTICU'J'  BAPTIST  CONVENTION       125 

church  in  that  place  was  organized  in  1893,  thirteen 
years  later.  It  numbers  now  (1907),  after  a  fourteen 
years'  existence,  only  thirty-six  members. 

The     Treasurer     reported     receipts     from     churches, 
schools  and  individuals,  $3,690,  from  interest,  $938. 


1881.  The  Convention  met  with  the  First  New  Lon- 
don church.  The  principal  officers  of  last  year 
were  reelected.  President  Sage  in  his  openmg  address 
made  some  very  discriminating  remarks  on  the  principles 
and  beliefs  of  Baptists.  We  gladly  find  place  for  them 
here  as  the  most  condensed  and  at  the  same  time  illumi- 
nating statement  of  the  points  involved  that  we  have  met 
in  all  our  reading. 

licv.  A.  J .  Sage,  D.D.,  on  Baptist  Beliefs. 

"We  stand  between  the  extremes,  neither  Armenian 
nor  Calvinistic,  having  no  formula  that  is  either  com- 
pulsory or  even  uniform,  insisting  only  on  the  substance 
of  the  faith,  using  our  articles  for  instruction  rather 
than  coercion.  In  respect  of  ordinances  we  reject  sacra- 
mentarianism,  all  idea  of  baptismal  regeneration,  of 
value  or  efficiency  in  infant  baptism,  and  on  the  other 
hand  Quakerism  and  its  allied  teaching  of  indifference 
to  form,  using  the  ordinances  as  sacred  types  and  mem- 
orials, and  making  the  death  and  resurrection  of  Christ 
as  expressed  in  the  communion  and  baptism  the  foci  of 
the  ellipse  in  which  revolve  all  the  great  Christian  doc- 
trines. As  to  church  organization,  we  reject  all  High 
church  theories  and  hierarchism,  with  their  attempts  at 
universal  organization,  and  on  the  other  hand  the  loose- 
ness of  the  Plymouth  idea  discarding  church  order  and 
the  ordination  of  the  ministry.  The  local  church,  inde- 
pendent and  sovereign,  under  Christ  and  His  word,  is 
our  simple  form  of  organization,  and  the  communion  is 
not  for  a  mass  of  Christians  in  a  loose  gathering  but 
for  the  local  church  as  a  family." 


126  HISTORY  OF  THE 

Report  of  the  Board. 

Much  space  in  the  report  Is  properly  taken  up  in 
describing  conditions  among  the  aided  churches.  Eighteen 
churches  had  been  on  the  list  and  $2,709  had  been  dis- 
tributed among  them.  The  Bible-school  work  had  been 
committed  to  the  Board.  Dr.  Stone  had  held  a  series  of 
institutes  which  were  very  profitable.  The  report  says: 
"This  form  of  work  has  not  been  pushed  forward,  and 
we  must  say  that  the  attitude  of  the  Convention  to  special 
Bible-school  work  is  too  indefinite  at  present."  Work 
had  been  done  on  new  fields.  A  small  group  of  Baptists 
had  been  found  in  New  Milforci  and  Rev.  Mr.  Pogson 
of  Bridgeport  had  with  the  Secretary  held  a  few  meet- 
ings with  them.  Two  had  been  baptized,  but  the  princi- 
pal supporters  had  moved  away  and  the  effort  had  been 
given  up.  Meetings  had  been  held  in  Manchester  by 
various  brethren  for  the  greater  part  of  the  year.  "We 
have  good  hope,"  says  the  report,  "of  a  Baptist  cause 
here,  but  cannot  yet  report  very  good  progress."  The 
Secretary  had  also  met  several  times  with  some  Baptist 
brethren  in  Winsted  and  says,  "We  must  be  ready  to 
grasp  the  first  opportunity  for  a  more  deliberate  and 
settled  work  there." 

It  is  pleasant  to  read  these  evidences  of  the  alertness 
and  activity  of  the  Secretary  and  the  Board  in  seeking 
out  the  openings  for  a  larger  work.  The  regret  is  that 
in  all  this  they  were  hindered  by  lack  of  sufficient  means. 

First  JVork  Among  the  French. 

This  year  witnessed  the  beginning  of  an  effort  to  reach 
the  French  Canadians  principally  employed  in  the  cot- 
ton mills  in  eastern  Connecticut.  The  Board  in  con- 
junction with  the  Home  Mission  Society  had  employed 
Rev.  Moise  Charbonneau,  a  member  of  the  Putnam 
church,  to  labor  there  and  in  that  vicinity.  The  report 
says:  "We  believe  it  was  an  inspiration  from  God  that 
led  to  this  work.     We  should  have  a  like  work  among 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION       127 

tiie  Germans."  This  work  has  continued  to  this  day 
with  alternate  hope  and  discouragement,  the  latter  owing 
mostly  to  the  constant  movement  among  this  people.  Per- 
haps if  French  churches  had  been  planted,  thus  furnish- 
ing the  converts  a  church  home,  this  moving  propensity 
might  have  been  in  a  measure  oNercome.  But  as  fast  as 
these  people  have  been  converted  they  have  joined  the 
English-speaking  churches  in  Putnam  and  Danielson. 
The  French  remaining  in  the  Roman  Catholic  church 
have  ostracised  the  Protestants,  who  having  no  oppor- 
tunity of  comradeship  in  a  homogeneous  church  home 
have  not  come  to  realize  their  strength. 

Bible-school  fVork. 

This  matter  came  up  again,  this  time  for  long  and 
earnest  debate.  Rev.  J.  V.  Garton  of  iMeriden  made  a 
vigorous  address,  in  which  he  recalled  the  excellent  work 
done  by  Brother  Walker.  That  brother  had  found  101 
schools,  with  13,500  members,  and  at  the  close  of  his 
work  had  left  150  schools,  with  19,600  scholars.  Three 
years  after  we  find  131  schools,  with  18,150  members. 
A  new  committee  was  appointed  with  Pastor  Garton  as 
chairman  to  report  a  plan  of  action.  He  reported:  "We 
recommend  that  the  Board  appoint  two  men,  one  of 
whom  shall  superintend  the  church  missionary  work  and 
the  other  the  Bible-school  work  of  the  state."  This  was 
adopted. 

Rev.  J.  R.  Stubbert  offered  a  further  resolution,  which 
was  also  adopted : 

"'Resolved,  That  the  Convention  instruct  the  Board 
to  employ  a  missionary  for  each  association;  that  Brother 
Hanna  have  charge  of  the  Xew  Haven  Association,  and 
that  he  superintend  the  whole  mission  work  of  the  state 
and  retain  the  position  of  Secretary,  for  which  he  shall 
be  fully  compensated." 

In  addition  to  these  two  rather  conflicting  resolutions 
a  third  one  was  offered  by  Rev.  J.  M.  Taylor,  which 
was  also  adopted: 


128  HISTORY  OF  THE 

"Resolved,  That  we  request  the  Board  to  formulate  a 
plan  for  presentation  to  the  next  Convention,  which 
shall  contemplate  the  carrying  forward  of  our  work  by 
district  missionaries,  to  whom  shall  be  committed  the 
care  of  both  churches  and  Bible-schools. 

In  the  multitude  of  counsellors  there  is  said  to  be 
safety,  yet  in  the  deliberations  of  such  a  body  as  the 
Convention  there  may  possibly  be  a  lack  of  umty  in 
counsel,  though  that  body  has  always  been  a  unit  in 
carrying  out  plans  once  decided  upon. 

We  note  the  presence  at  this  meeting,  we  think  for  the 
first  time,  of  Rev.  J.  L.  Morehouse,  the  Secretary  of  the 
Home  Mission  Society.  He  was  there  to  interest  the 
brethren  in  the  semi-centennial  of  that  organization. 


1882.  The  Convention  had  the  pleasure  of  meeting 
with  the  First  Ansonia  church,  in  the  house  of 
worship  that  had  been  built  mainly  from  the  contributions 
of  the  brethren  and  through  the  ministration  of  Dr. 
Turnbull.  Brother  W.  S.  Bronson  was  chosen  President, 
and  Brethren  Hanna  and  Lockwood  were  reelected  to 
their   former  positions. 

Report  of  the  Board. 

The  report  shows  that  the  Secretary  was  himself  most 
"abundant  in  labor,"  and  so  had  set  a  notable  example 
to  his  fellow-laborers.  Largely  through  his  personal 
efforts  the  debt  of  the  Meriden  German  church  had  been 
cancelled.  He  had  done  much  directly  for  the  Bible- 
school  work,  having  visited  twenty-seven  schools,  besides 
opening  two  new  schools,  and  had  received  from  the 
schools  $700  for  Convention  expenses.  In  appeals  for 
aid  he  had  presented  the  cause  to  twenty-six  churches. 
He  had  attended  400  meetings,  preached  200  times,  sent 
out  1,200  letters,  made  740  visits,  traveled  6,740  miles, 
written  40  articles  for  the  Christian  Secretary,  and  lived 
to  tell  it. 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION       129 

The  report  speaks  of  two  new  churches,  Rockville  and 
Shelton.  The  former  was  clearly  a  case  of  resurrection 
from  among  the  dead.  Under  the  leadership  of  Pastor 
L.  S.  Brown  of  Tolland  the  Baptists  of  Rockville  had 
come  together,  secured  a  hall,  organized  a  school,  and 
held  special  meetings,  and  the  church  which  had  given 
up  thirty  years  before  was  resuscitated.  It  can  be  added 
that  though  they  have  had  to  struggle  through  many 
disappointments  they  never  again  grew  weary  of  well- 
doing, though  they  have  sometimes  been  tired  in  well- 
doing, and  by  the  blessing  of  God  they  have  grown  into 
a  strong,  self-sustaining  and  helpful  church. 

The  work  in  Shelton  had  begun  de  novo.  The  pastor 
of  the  Ansonia  church  had  visited,  preached,  started 
prayer  meetings  and  a  Bible-school,  and  turned  the  work 
over  to  Missionary  Naylor.  That  church,  too,  through 
many  vicissitudes,  part  of  which  might  and  should  have 
been  avoided,  has  continued  to  this  day.  The  Danielson 
church,  as  well  as  the  Grand  Avenue,  New  Haven,  had 
reached  the  point  of  self-support.  The  Webster  Street 
(colored)  in  New  Haven  had  secured  a  new  chapel  on 
VVest  Chapel  Street  and  had  taken  the  name  of  the 
Emmanuel  Baptist  church. 

From  the  doings  of  the  Convention  we  gather  a  few 
items.  The  three  district  missionaries  who  had  worked 
with  the  secretary.  Walker,  Martin  and  Naylor,  told 
the  story  of  their  labors.  The  body  approv^ed  of  this 
plan  of  work  and  urged  that  other  such  laborers  be  em- 
ployed, as  the  churches  should  furnish  the  means. 

Three  new  churches  were  received:  Shelton,  Rockville 
and  Baltic.  The  first  two  have  been  spoken  of.  The 
Baltic  church,  like  the  Rockville,  was  not  "brand  new." 
It  had  had  an  existence  for  several  years  and  had  been 
aided  by  the  Convention.  Its  house  of  worship  had 
burned  down  several  years  before  and  there  had  been 
no  preaching  for  six  years.  Rev.  O.  C.  Sargent  had 
looked  the  people  up  and  had  found  forty-nine  members 
and  sixteen  other  Baptists.  There  was  an  insurance  of 
$1,200,  and  they  had  been  induced  to  arise  and  build. 


130  HISTORY  OF  THE 

Baptist  Ministers'  Conference. 

This  year  the  Ministers'  Conference  was  organized  in 
Ansonia.  The  first  motive  that  led  to  its  formation  was 
the  creation  of  a  fund  for  the  care  of  disabled  ministers 
and  of  the  families  of  those  who  had  deceased.  Deacon 
O.  B.  Grant  of  Stonington  and  Captain  E.  Morgan  of 
Groton  had  each  offered  a  thousand  dollars  to  form  such 
a  fund.  It  was  agreed  to  call  the  ministers  of  the  state 
together  for  consultation.  Rev.  A.  Pollard,  D.D.,  of 
Boston,  was  present  to  explain  the  operations  of  a  simi- 
lar society  in  Massachusetts. 

All  were  found  favorable  to  the  project.  It  was 
decided  to  enlarge  the  scope  of  the  society  to  "promote 
the  union  and  usefulness  of  its  members."  Essays  on 
interesting  subjects  were  to  be  prepared  and  discussed. 
These  meetings,  held  on  the  Monday  preceding  the  meet- 
ings of  the  Convention,  came  to  form  one  of  the  most 
attractive  features  of  the  Baptist  anniversaries.  A 
blessed  ministry  of  helpfulness  flowed  to  the  aged  and  In- 
firm ministers,  and  to  the  "widow  and  fatherless."  Subse- 
quently, however,  this  ministry  was  passed  over  to  the 
Ministers'  Home  Society,  though  the  Ministers'  Confer- 
ence is  still  in  close  touch  with  the  work.  It  has  its 
representatives  In  the  Home's  Board  of  Control  and  the 
agent  of  the  society  makes  his  appeal  In  person  at  the 
meetings  of  the  Conference.  The  churches  of  the  state 
take  an  annual  offering  for  its  treasury. 

1883.     The  sixtieth  annual  meeting  was  held  with  the 
Calvary  church,  New  Haven,  October  16.     W. 
S.   Bronson  was  the  President,   Rev.  T.  A.  T.  Hanna, 
Secretary,  and  James  Tockwood,  Treasurer. 

Six  missionaries  Including  the  Secretary  had  been  em- 
ployed during  the  year:  Revs.  Walker,  Naylor,  Bickford, 
Charbonneau,  Claftord  and  Hanna.  The  work  of  this 
large  force  of  missionaries  is  detailed  at  some  length. 
Brother  Walker  had  labored  mostly  in  the  Ashford  As- 
sociation.    He  had  spent  some  time  in  Westford,  "a  new 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION       131 

field  without  any  religious  organization."  A  church  was 
afterwards  formed  in  this  place.  Brother  Naylor  had 
given  most  of  his  time  to  Shelton,  where  the  work  had 
prospered  and  a  building  was  in  process  of  erection.  He 
had  also  done  the  work  of  an  evangelist  in  nine  churches. 
Brother  Charbonneau  had  prosecuted  the  work  among 
the  French,  and  forty-five  had  been  converted,  of  whom 
twelve  had  been  baptized. 

First  JVork  for  the  Swedes. 

The  initiation  of  this  work,  a  work  that  has  proved 
more  satisfactory  and  permanent  than  any  other  the 
Convention  has  engaged  in,  was  by  the  Home  Mission 
Society.  The  report  says:  "About  the  middle  of  this 
year  the  society  proposed  to  us  to  unite  with  them  in 
supporting  a  missionary  to  the  Swedes.  We  gladly  con- 
sented. The  young  man  chosen  for  the  work  is  Mr. 
Thorson  Clafford,  a  native  of  Sweden."  This  man 
began  his  work  in  New  Britain.  The  Women's  Home 
Mission  Society  of  New  Haven  engaged  to  pay  our  half 
of  his  support.  It  was  an  auspicious  opening  to  a  most 
happy  enterprise. 

Brother  Hanna  had  been  as  indefatigable  in  his  labors 
as  ever.  He  had  been  laid  aside  by  sickness  for  three 
months,  yet  besides  his  duties  as  Secretary  and  General 
Superintendent  he  had  visited  forty-six  churches,  either 
in  evangelistic  service  or  to  press  the  claims  of  the  Con- 
vention on  churches  and  individual  givers. 

The    Crescent   Beach    Enterprise. 

Brother  J.  L.  Denison  of  Hartford,  acting  for  a  com- 
mittee appointed  last  year,  reported  that  the  state  Bible- 
school  Union  had  been  formed  and  had  held  its  first 
meeting  at  Crescent  Beach,  which  was  proposed  as  the 
central  rallying  place  for  all  general  meetings.  The 
report  continues:  "It  may  not  be  the  province  of  your 
committee  to  make  any  recommendations  to  a  body  so 


132  HISTORY  OF  THE 

competent  to  make  and  execute  its  own  plans,  yet  we 
may  be  allowed  to  suggest  that  in  an  intei'est  so  import- 
ant and  in  which  so  much  is  involved,  it  may  be  a  worthy 
thing  for  this  Convention  to  appoint  a  committee  who 
shall  confer  with  this  band  of  our  workers,  and  that  it 
may  further  show  its  state  fellowship  and  bond  of  union 
by  appointing  one  of  the  number  of  state  missionaries 
to  operate  specially  with  the  various  Bible-school  asso- 
ciations in  holding  institutes  and  such  other  meetings  as 
may  be  mutually  profitable  in  Christian  work." 

The  matter  was  referred  to  a  committee  of  which 
Rev.  P.  A.  Nordell  was  chairman.  In  the  report  of  this 
committee  the  project  was  warmly  commended  and  urged 
upon  the  favorable  consideration  of  the  brethren.  No 
further  action  seems  to  have  been  taken  by  the  Conven- 
tion at  this  or,  so  far  as  discovered  by  the  writer,  at  any 
subsequent  time.  An  organic  union  had  not  been  asked 
for.  The  enterprise  was  left  in  the  hands  of  its  pro- 
moters. These  brethren  entered  upon  the  work  enthusi- 
astically and  prosecuted  it  to  a  large  measure  of  succesc 
for  several  years.  A  real  estate  company  was  formed,  a 
large  plot  of  land  purchased,  a  very  commodious  and 
sightly  tabernacle  was  erected,  and  many  attractive  cot- 
tages were  built  by  Baptist  families.  Each  summer  a 
series  of  meetings  was  arranged  for,  gatherings  of  Bible- 
schools  were  heki,  courses  of  able  lectures  were  pro- 
vided, women's  missionary  societies  held  conferences. 
Crescent  Beach  became  a  popular  summer  resort,  and 
there  seemed  to  be  a  sure  prospect  of  the  permanent 
establishment  of  a  first-class  Baptist  Chautauqua  in  Con- 
necticut. 

Tliat  at  last  interest  waned  and  the  bright  prospect 
failed  of  fulfillment  is  known  to  all.  Various  reasons 
which  do  not  concern  us  now  might  be  assigned  for  this. 
The  principal  one  is  that  which  has  brought  disaster  upon 
other  auspicious  Baptist  interests,  the  want  of  cohesion 
and  solidarity  in  our  denomination.  It  is  the  fault  of 
our  virtues,  the  inherent  weakness  in  our  strength.  Our 
church  independence  too  often  develops  or  degenerates 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION       133 

into  self-absorption,  isolation,  aloofness.  The  churches 
of  a  city,  county,  or  state  are  disjiDicta  membra — not 
enough  "one  body  in  Christ."  Against  this  disintegrating 
tendency  our  wise  leaders  are  constantly  making  effort. 
The  unifying  of  the  churches  of  the  state  is  the  under- 
lying, primary  purpose  of  our  State  Convention:  its  work 
will  not  be  done  till  this  is  accomplished.  In  the  instance 
we  are  considering  we  certainly  missed  a  splendid  oppor- 
tunity. 

The  Statistical  Secretary,  Elizur  Cook,  had  prepared 
and  presented  to  the  body  an  elaborate  table  of  statistics, 
both  vital  and  financial,  of  all  the  churches  of  the  state 
down  to  that  time.  He  was  requested  to  print  them  in  a 
separate  pamphlet  for  general  distribution.* 

There  had  been  paid  in  aid  to  churches  $1,682,  and  in 
salaries  and  expenses  $3,705.  Contributions  received 
were  $5,322. 

1884.  The  sixty-first  anniversary  was  held  with  the 
First  church,  Norwich.  Mr.  W.  S.  Bronson  was 
reelected  President  and  Mr.  James  Lockwood,  Treasurer. 
Mr.  Elizur  Cook  was  elected  Secretary  and  Statistical 
Secretary.  The  choice  of  Superintendent  of  Missions 
was  referred  to  the  Board  with  power. 

The  Rev.  T.  A.  T.  Hanna,  who  had  succeeded  Dr. 
Turnbull  and  had  served  for  six  years,  this  year  severed 
his  connection  with  the  Convention.  His  last  report, 
presented  this  year,  showed,  as  all  previous  ones  had 
done,  his  unflagging  Industry  and  unselfish  devotion.  No 
man  could  possibly  exceed  him  in  zeal  and  conscientious- 
ness. Nor  can  any  man  know  without  a  personal  ex- 
perience the  difficulties  of  the  task  devolving  on  a  superin- 
tendent of  missions.  It  has  its  blessed  compensations,  as 
has  any  sphere  of  Christian  activity  well  filled.  Among 
these  is  the  kind  appreciation  and  loving  overvaluation, 
by  the  best  of  his  brethren,  of  his  attempts  to  serve.  An- 
other is  that  he  is  sure  to  escape  the  condemnation  pro- 

*  We  have  not  found  such  a  pamphlet  in  the  archives.  All  these  statistics  will  be 
found  brought  down  to  1907  in  the  Appendix  to  this  volume. 


134  HISTORY  OF  THE 

nounced  by  the  Master  upon  the  man  of  whom  all  men 
speak  well.  The  more  faithful  and  the  more  capable 
he  is,  the  less  is  his  exposure  to  this  peril. 

Report  of  the  Board. 

The  Shelton  church  had  prospered  and  the  new  chapel 
had  been  built.  A  special  appeal  had  been  sent  to  the 
churches  and  Bible-schools,  and  $2,500  had  been  col- 
lected without  difficulty  for  this  object.  Missionaries 
Walker,  Bickford  and  Naylor  had  labored  in  different 
sections  of  the  state.  Mr.  CI  afford  had  continueci  to 
prosecute  the  work  among  the  Swedes,  and  Brother 
Charbonneau  among  the  French.  Brother  Sylvester 
Kronmaier  had  ministered  to  the  Germans  in  Seymour, 
Union  City  and  other  places.  In  this  new  appointment, 
as  well  as  in  other  work  for  foreigners,  the  Home  Mis- 
sion Society  had  borne  an  even  part  with  the  Convention. 
Moreov^er,  the  Convention's  share  of  these  salaries  had 
been  assumed  bv  the  Women's  Home  Mission  Society  of 
Connecticut. 

The  Memorial  church,  Hartford,  was  organized  this 
year.  This  was  in  fact  a  reorganization  of  the  former 
Washington  Avenue  church.  How  it  was  established  and 
set  on  its  prosperous  career  is  a  story  to  be  told  later. 
Appropriations  had  been  made  to  twenty-nine  churches, 
aggregating  $4,042,  of  which  $2,500  was  for  the  Shelton 
chapel. 

Cooperative  Evangelism. 

In  reading  the  records  of  the  Convention  it  .is  interest- 
ing to  note  the  intense  longing  always  manifested  for 
general  revivals.  Three  men  had  been  on  the  field  en- 
gaged especially  in  this  the  King's  most  urgent  business, 
but  the  brethren  were  not  satisfied.  Pastors  were  ready 
to  spend  and  be  spent  in  service  on  other  fields  besides 
their  own.  Suggestions  and  plans  were  brought  out  at 
nearly  every  session  of  the  Convention.  This  year  on 
the  initiative  of  Dr.  Herr  a  committee  of  one  from  each 
association  was  appointed  to  formulate  a  plan  by  which 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION       135 

the  pastors  might  cooperate  in  promoting  revivals.  Rev. 
Dr.  Stone  was  to  serve  as  secretary  of  the  movement,  to 
manage  the  correspondence  between  churches  desiring 
such  ser\ice  and  pastors  willing  to  render  it.  He  received 
the  names  of  twenty-seven  such  pastors,  from  whom  the 
"teams  of  workers"  should  be  made  up.  Others  willing 
to  participate  were  to  report  to  the  Secretary. 

Not  a  single  reference  is  made  to  this  movement  in 
the  next  year's  minutes.  Something  no  doubt  was  done, 
but  as  a  general  movement  the  plan  was  inoperative.  The 
pastors  have  always  been  more  than  ready  to  lend  a 
hand  to  neighboring  pastors  for  special  work.  J  hey  are 
never  indifferent  to  the  "Macedonian  cry"  when  it  is  in 
their  power  to  respond.  But  concerted  and  continuous 
and  simultaneous  action  for  the  promotion  of  revivals 
according  to  formal  plans,  invoh'ing  the  separation  of 
the  pastor  from  his  own  field,  are  always  difficult  and 
often  barren  of  commensurate  results. 

On  the  motion  of  Dr.  Herr  the  following  minute  was 
adopted : 

^'IFhereaSy  T.  A.  T.  Hanna  has  filled  the  office  of 
Superintendent  of  Missions  for  the  past  six  years,  we 
deem  it  a  pleasure  and  privilege  to  place  on  record  our 
confidence  in  the  faithfulness,  Christian  character,  and 
m.anly  integrity  of  our  beloved  brother." 

1885.      rhe  sixty-second  annual  meeting  was  held  with 
the  First  Hartford  church,  Rev.  Lester  L.  Pot- 
ter, pastor.     W.  S.  Bronson  was  President,  Elizur  Cook, 
Secretary,  and  James  Lockwood,  Treasurer. 

Report  of  the  Board. 

"The  work  has  been  carried  on  without  the  services 
of  any  regularly  employed  secretary  as  in  former  years. 
We  have  depended  on  the  gratuitous  services 
of  the  officers  and  other  friends  to  secure  the  necessary' 
funds.  The  President,  Secretary  and  Treasurer  have 
taken  upon  themselves  the  greater  share  of  the  burden. 
Of  these  most  efficient  services  the  Board  desires  to  make 


136  HISTORY  OF  THE 

special  mention.  .  .  The  contributions  will  compare 
favorably  with  those  of  other  years.  .  .  We  are  able 
to  present  to  you  a  report  full  of  encouragement  and 
hopefulness.  .  .  The  special  work  of  the  year  has 
been  the  effort  to  raise  $1,500  to  assist  the  Rockville 
church  in  finishing  their  chapel." 

Rev.  T.  Clafford  had  worked  among  the  Swedes  in 
eleven  districts.  His  work  had  been  bright  in  the  autumn 
and  winter,  when  the  services  were  v/ell  attended,  but 
gloomy  in  the  summer,  "when  people  preferred  outside 
amusement  to  listening  to  the  Gospel."  He  had  preached 
225  times  and  baptized  ten  converts.  In  Brother  Kron- 
maier's  field  there  were  two  thousand  Germans  in  Water- 
bury,  and  two  hundred  families  in  Seymour.  His  con- 
gregations were  good  in  both  places.  The  work  for  the 
French  had  been  given  up  for  the  present,  owing  to  the 
difficulty  of  securing  an  eflicient  worker. 

Twenty-two  churches  had  been  aided.  The  receipts 
were  $5,344,  and  the  expenditures,  $4,686.  Rev.  W.  C. 
Walker  had  been  laid  aside  by  severe  illness. 

1886.  The  sixty-third  annual  meeting  was  held  with  the 
Waterbury  church.  Hon.  Francis  Wayland  was 
chosen  President,  Rev.  P.  S.  Evans,  Secretary,  and  Wil- 
liam F.  Walker,  Treasurer.  Mr.  W.  S.  Bronson,  the 
former  President,  kept  the  chair  till  the  choice  of  his 
successor.  During  Mr.  Bronson's  six  years  of  service 
he  was  heart  and  soul  in  the  work  of  the  Convention,  and 
gave  more  time  and  personal  attention  to  it  than  any  of 
his  predecessors  had  been  able  to  give.  He  was  particu- 
larly interested  in  the  welfare  of  the  Bible-schools,  and 
lost  no  opportunity'  to  press  his  convictions  on  his  breth- 
ren. More  was  done  in  this  direction  through  the  years 
of  his  administration  than  at  any  time  before  or  since. 

Report  of  the  Board. 

The  report  was  read  by  the  Secretary,  Brother  Elizur 
Cook.  Like  his  previous  efforts  this  one  shows  the  hand 
of    a    practical    business    man.      It    covers    the    ground 


HCX.   FRANCIS  WA'^LAXD,  LL.D. 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION       137 

thoroughly  with  only  as  many  words  as  are  needed,  and  is 
less  exhortative  than  the  reports  of  the  preacher-secre- 
taries are  apt  to  be.  Twenty-two  churches  had  been 
aided.  Of  them  the  report  says:  "Some  of  these  have  a 
small  membership,  while  others  have  such  numbers  as 
would  seem  to  preclude  the  necessity  of  calling  upon  the 
Convention  for  aid." 

The  Board  through  its  committee  had  assisted  the 
Shelton  church  in  removing  its  chapel  to  a  more  favorable 
location,  assuming  an  obligation  in  the  sum  of  $1,500  for 
the  purchase  of  a  new  lot.  It  had  loaned  $1,000  to  the 
New  Hartlord  church  for  the  building  of  a  parsonage, 
the  church  to  pay  the  interest  of  six  per  cent.  The  Con- 
vention held  the  title  to  the  ground.*  That  body  had 
also  encouraged  the  Rockville  church  to  believe  that  it 
would  give  $1,500  for  the  completion  of  their  new 
chapel  and  $400  of  this  sum  had  already  been  paid. 

Of  the  missionaries  the  report  said  that  Rev.  1  .  Claf- 
ford  had  relinquished  his  work,  which  had  been  so  fruit- 
ful of  good  among  the  Swedes,  that  he  might  return  to 
Sweden  for  the  further  prosecution  of  his  studies.  Kev. 
S.  Kronmaier,  German  missionary  in  the  Naugatuck  Val- 
ley, had  also  closed  his  labors  and  no  successor  had  yet 
been  found.  The  French  mission  had  been  resumed 
under  the  ministry  of  Rev.  S.  H.  F^tienne. 

Of  the  German  work  the  report  says:  "There  are 
now  three  prosperous  German  churches.  New  Haven, 
Meriden  and  New  Britain.  A  fourth  is  on  the  point  of 
being  started  in  Bridgeport  under  the  labors  of  Rev. 
William   Ritzman. 

Kindly  Words  to  the  Retiring  President. 

Rev.  Dr.  Palmer  at  the  request  of  the  nominating  com- 
mittee made  an  address  to  the  retiring  President,  which 
fittingly  represented  the  feelings  of  the  entire  body. 

"yV/r.  President: — The  committee  on  nomination  has 
confided  to  me  the  very  pleasant  task  of  conveying  to  you 

*  The  obligation  was  afterwards  released  to  the  church. 


138  HISTORY  OF  THE 

and  your  fellow-workers  their  assurance  of  personal 
regard,  and  also  their  high  appreciation  of  the  fidelity 
by  which  your  administration  has  been  distinguished. 
Pending  the  discussion,  elicited  by  the  report  of  your 
positive  wish  to  be  retired  from  the  exhausting  cares  and 
labors  of  executive  responsibility,  we  felt  a  quickened 
sense  of  the  value  of  your  services  in  this  department. 
We  remember  with  what  enthusiasm,  courage,  intelligent 
zeal  and  generous  aims  you  entered  upon  your  official 
work,  and  if  you  hav^e  not  fully  realized  your  expecta- 
tions in  such  improved  methods  of  action  as  you  saw 
to  be  needed,  and  in  such  enlarged  fruitfulness  as  the 
whitened  fields  seemed  to  promise,  yet  we  assure  you 
that  in  the  judgment  of  the  committee  the  failure  has  not 
been  from  the  want  of  wise  counsel  and  untiring  industry 
on  your  part,  but  from  the  scantiness  of  the  resources  put 
at  your  disposal,  or  perhaps  because  your  estimates  of 
the  work  exceeded  the  practical  possibilities  of  the  times. 
I  assure  you,  my  brother,  that  you  have  the  united  and 
heartfelt  testimony  of  the  entire  Convention,  that  in  the 
administration  of  its  affairs,  through  your  entire  official 
term,  you  have  done  wisely  and  well." 

Tribute  to  a   Trusty   Treasurer. 

As  Mr.  Lockwood  declined  another  year  of  office,  the 
Convention  heartily  adopted  the  following  minute: 

"Resolved,  That  in  the  voluntary  retirement  of  Mr. 
James  Lockwood  from  the  office  of  Treasurer,  which  he 
has  filled  for  twelve  years,  we  desire  to  place  on  perman- 
ent record  our  high  and  grateful  recognition  of  the  ability 
and  self-denying  fidelity  with  which  he  has  discharged  the 
duties  of  his  office.  Assuming  office  at  a  critical  time  in 
the  affairs  of  the  Convention,  he  has  by  his  wise  and  ex- 
perienced management  of  its  investments  placed  them  in 
a  sound  financial  condition,  and  has  in  all  respects  ad- 
ministered the  trusts  reposed  in  him  to  the  entire  satisfac- 
tion of  the  churches  of  the  Convention.  We  tender  him 
an  expression  of  our  sincere  thanks,  and  a  wish  for  his 


CX)NNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION       139 

continued  happiness  and  usefulness  in  the  service  of  our 
common  Lord." 

The  Treasurer  stated  in  this  his  lasi:  report  that  all 
that  was  transferred  to  him  upon  his  entrance  into  office- 
was  the  deed  to  the  farm  in  Illinois,  carried  as  an  asset 
at  $12,295.76.  Since  then  eight  bequests  had  been  re- 
ceived into  the  treasury  amounting  to  $19,737.48,  which 
sum  had  been  increased  to  $20,383.99,  a  gain  of  $646.51. 

The  President  chosen  this  year,  Hon.  Francis  Way- 
land,  held  the  office  for  ten  years,  and  the  Secretary, 
Rev.  Philip  S.  Evans,  served  for  sixteen  years,  during 
eight  of  which  he  also  acted  as  Superintendent  of  Mis- 
sions. 

1887.      rhe  sixty-fourth  annual  meeting  was  held  with 
the    New    Britain   church.    Rev.    I.    F.    Stidham, 
Ph.D.,  pastor.     The  President,  Secretary  and  Treasurer 
were  reelected. 

Report  of  the  Board. 

The  report  deals  first  with  the  appointment  of  a  Super- 
intendent of  Missions.  At  the  first  meeting  of  the  Board 
this  matter  had  been  presented  and  a  committee  formed 
to  canvas  the  subject  and  find  the  man  adapted  to  the 
work.  7heir  choice  unanimously  fell  upon  Rev.  C.  A. 
Piddock,  at  that  time  pastor  of  the  Middletown  church. 
Mr.  Piddock  had  entered  upon  his  labors  January  1.  He 
had  proved  himself  wise  in  counsel,  indefatigable  in 
working.  He  had  visited  all  the  aided  churches  and 
made  himself  acquainted  with  their  condition.  He  had 
stimulated  the  benevolence  of  the  churches,  not  so  much 
by  direct  appeal  as  by  the  knowledge  that  some  one  to 
be  trusted  was  on  the  field. 

The  Board  had  formed  a  committee  to  frame  a  set  of 
by-laws  and  to  suggest  needed  alterations  in  the  constitu- 
tion. The  report  of  this  committee  was  submitted  to  the 
Convention.  The  by-laws  were  adopted  this  year  and 
notice  was  given  of  the  proposed  changes  in  the  consti- 
tution. 


140  HISTORY  OF  THE 

State  of  the  Aided  Churches. 

The  report  of  the  Board,  supplemented  by  that  of  the 
Superintendent  of  Missions,  enters  very  fully  into  the 
condition  of  these  churches.  Only  a  few  of  the  most  im- 
portant items  are  given  here.  The  church  in  Rockville 
had  fairly  left  the  wilderness  behind  and  entered  into 
the  Promised  Land.  A  note  not  bearing  interest  had 
been  given  to  the  Convention  covering  the  contributions 
for  the  building  of  the  chapel  and  Intended  to  secure  the 
Convention  in  case  of  the  sale  of  the  property  at  any 
future  time. 

The  Fitchville  Church. 

The  superintendent  had  succeeded  in  organizing  a 
church  In  Fitchvillc  with  the  liberal  aid  of  the  owners  of 
the  large  mills  in  that  place.  "It  occupies  a  very  com- 
fortable chapel  and  enjoys  an  Income  from  an  invested 
fund  which  togc'hcr  with  what  can  be  raised  on  the  field 
will  rentier  the  church  Independent  of  aid  from  the  Con- 
vention."* 

The  Smaller  American  Churches. 

Of  these  the  report  says:  "In  the  case  of  one-half  of 
these,  they  occupy  substantially  missionary  ground. 
Should  their  light  go  out  whole  districts  would  be  left  in 
darkness.  Our  duty  to  these  can  never  be  in  doubt. 
Where  there  are  two  or  more  churches  struggling  for  a 
precarious  life  in  the  same  community  It  Is  evident  that 
one  or  more  of  such  churches  should  be  suffered  to  die. 
But  it  may  and  will  be  a  serious  question,  which  Is  to 
consent  to  die  that  the  rest  may  live.  This  can  only  be 
decided  when  the  representatives  of  the  other  denomi- 
nations will  join  with  us  In  determ.lning  this  question  in 


*  We  are  able  to  add  that  this  promise  has  been  fulfilled.  It  is  largely  owing  to  the 
fidelity  of  Rev.  R.  E.  Turner,  pastor  of  the  Lebanon  church,  who  for  sixteen  years  has 
held  the  ioint  pastorate  of  these  two  churches. 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION       141 

the  light  of  our  mutual  interest  in  the  greater  kingdom 
of  our  Lord." 

JVork  for  the  Foreign-horn. 

"Your  Board  is  deeply  impressed  with  the  conviction 
that  the  subject  of  work  among  the  foreign-born  is  of 
increasing  magnitude  and  requires  very  careful  and 
patient  investigation.  We  cannot  turn  away  from  those 
providentially  sent  to  us.  Foreign  missions  can  now  be 
prosecuted  at  home  and  by  men  from  among  these  people 
themselves,  men  who  do  not  neeci  to  spend  four  or  five 
of  the  best  years  of  their  life  to  learn  a  language  in 
which  to  preach  the  Gospel  sent  to  all  nations." 

Rev.  n\  C.  JValker. 

This  beloved  brother  and  faithful  worker  had  died 
within  the  year.  The  following  minute  had  been  pre- 
pared by  Rev.  G.  M.  Stone,  D.D.: 

"The  death  of  Rev.  W.  C.  Walker  took  place  in 
Andover,  October  28.  Thus  there  is  removed  from  the 
state,  and  from  the  church  on  earth,  one  of  the  most 
efficient  servants  of  the  Convention,  and  one  of  the  most 
honored  ministers  of  Christ.  The  Apostle  Paul  speaks  of 
certain  ol  his  associates  in  service  as  messengers  of  the 
churches  and  the  glory  of  Christ.  Brother  Walker  had 
definite  aspirations  for  such  high  distinction  as  these 
words  imply.  He  was  a  constant  and  indefatigable 
worker,  and  was  permitted  to  see  in  many  instances  the 
tokens  of  divine  favor.  His  services  in  the  interests  of 
our  Bible-schools  will  not  be  forgotten.  He  was  a 
patriot  in  the  noblest  import  of  that  term,  and  served 
well  in  the  crisis  of  the  nation's  need.  His  pastoral  work 
in  New  Britain  and  other  fields  is  warmly  cherished  by 
those  who  shared  its  results.  Your  committee  feels  it 
eminently  fitting  that  this  record  should  be  made  of  him 
in  the  archives  of  the  Convention." 


142  HISTORY  OF  THE 

Two  Notable  Ordinations. 

The  report  of  the  Board  called  attention  to  two  of  the 
ordinations  which  had  taken  place.  One  of  these  was 
that  of  E.  W.  Potter,  the  son  of  Deacon  Giles  Potter  of 
New  Haven,  so  widely  known  in  the  state  and  so  loyal  to 
the  Convention.  Brother  Potter  has  done  good  service 
in  Rockville  and  other  places  for  several  years.  The 
other  was  that  of  W.  G.  Fennell.  He  was  in  a  true  sense 
a  child  of  the  Convention,  converted  in  the  hill  town  of 
Cornwall  through  the  instrumentality  of  a  missionary  of 
the  Convention  and  educated  in  Suffield,  being  helped 
through  his  higher  courses  by  the  Education  Society.  He 
served  successfully  in  Middletown  and  Meriden.  After 
an  absence  of  a  few  yej^rs  in  Newark,  N.  J.,  he  has  now 
(  1908)  returned  to  this  state  to  serve  the  Asylum  Avenue 
church  in  Hartford. 

Do'uufs  of  the  Convention. 

The  reports  of  the  Board  and  of  the  Superintendent  of 
Missions  were  fully  discussed  and  the  suggestions  made 
therein  approved.  Stirring  addresses  were  given  by  a 
number  of  the  brethren.  Representatives  of  the  various 
interests  were  heard  from.  On  motion  of  Brother  James 
L.  Howard  it  was  voted  that  the  Board  of  Trustees  at 
their  first  meeting  divide  themselves  into  three  classes,  to 
serve  respectively  one,  two  and  three  years.  This  was 
provided  for  in  the  new  constitution  and  was  carried  out 
in  the  Board. 

From  the  report  of  the  treasurer  we  learn  that  twenty- 
five  churches  had  been  aided,  receiving,  with  the  mis- 
sionaries on  the  field,  $3,673.55.  Then  there  had  been 
paid  to  the  Rockville  church  $1,100,  the  balance  of  the 
appropriation  for  the  building  of  its  chapel.  I'he 
receipts  from  churches  and  other  sources  were  $3,826.33, 
and  the  liabilities,  $1,237.05. 

1888.      l"he  sixty-fifth  annual  meeting  was  held  with  the 
South  church,  Hartford,  Rev.  Kittridge  Wheeler, 
pastor.     Words  of  kindly  welcome  were  spoken  by  the 
pastor  and  responded  to  by  the  president. 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION       143 

fl^ords  of  President  M'^ayland. 

"In  addition  to  what  you  will  hear  from  the  report 
of  the  Board,  it  may  be  well  to  add  a  few  words  by  way, 
not  of  condemnation,  but  of  friendly  criticism.  Ihis 
last  year,  in  spite  of  the  earnest  appeal  that  we  made  to 
the  Convention,  the  amount  of  contributions  from  the 
churches  has  not  increased  but  diminished  and  the  debt 
remains  unpaid.  Why  should  not  the  pastors  present 
this  cause  once  a  year,  and  early  in  the  year,  to  the 
churches  over  which  they  preside?  If  this  duty  is  not  at- 
tended to  we  must  see  our  cause  suffer,  the  small  churches 
fail  to  receive  the  support  pledged  to  them,  and  our  work 
in  behalf  of  the  rapidly  increasing  number  of  foreigners 
languish.  Let  us  do  what  belongs  to  the  liberality  of  our 
denomination  and  the  seriousness  with  which  we  hold  the 
views  we  profess." 

Report  of  the  Board. 

Rev.  C.  A.  Piddock  at  his  own  request  had  been  re- 
lieved of  a  part  of  his  duties  on  February  1,  and  of  all 
his  duties  on  May  1,  a  step  made  necessary  by  his  assum- 
ing the  ownership  and  editorship  of  the  Christian  Secre- 
tary. During  his  six  months  of  service  he  had  presented 
the  cause  of  the  Convention  in  twenty-six  churches  and 
conducted  revival  services  in  six  other  churches. 

Tribute  to  Rev.  C.  A.  Piddock. 

The  writer  may  be  allowed  to  insert  here  a  personal 
tribute  to  our  brother  and  fellow-worker  in  the  service 
of  the  Convention,  He  is  moved  to  take  this  liberty 
because  it  was  on  the  very  day  when  he  was  writing  this 
portion  of  these  records  that  he  heard  of  this  brother's 
decease.  Mr.  Piddock  was  Superintendent  of  Missions 
through  two  terms  of  service.  He  entered  upon  his 
first  term  January  1,  1886,  and  resigned  May  1,  1888, 
serving  only  eighteen  months.     In  October,   1897,  there 


144  HISTORY  OF  THE 

being  a  vacancy  in  the  office,  the  Board,  mindful  of  his 
former  efficient  service,  reappointed  him.  The  second 
time  he  served  for  six  years.  The  writer  held  the  office 
of  Secretary  through  all  the  years  of  Brother  Piddock's 
labors  as  superintendent  and  of  course  was  brought  into 
constant  and  intimate  relations  with  him  through  volumi- 
nous correspondence  and  frequent  personal  interviews. 
Though  not  always  agreeing  with  him  in  his  judgment 
of  measures  to  be  used,  the  writer  generally  found  that 
Brother  Piddock's  views  prevailed  in  the  councils  of 
the  Board.  He  had  the  full  confidence  of  the  brethren  in 
his  business  management.  Our  relations  were  always 
most  cordial.  He  was  courteous  in  manner,  a  great 
reader  and  a  ready  conversationalist,  and  a  more  wel- 
come visitor  never  entered  our  home.  We  shall  record 
much  of  his  labors  in  the  years  that  follow. 

The  report  gives  a  detailed  account  of  all  the  mission 
fields.  The  mission  to  the  Germans  was  prospering.  A 
lot  had  been  bought  for  the  church  in  Bridgeport  (after- 
wards exchanged  for  a  better  site),  and  J^1,000  had  been 
paid  on  it,  the  title  being  vested  in  the  Convention.  A 
very  encouraging  advance  had  been  made  in  the  Swedish 
churches  of  New  Haven,  New  Britain,  Bridgeport, 
Meriden  and  Hartford.  To  the  appointment  by  the 
Home  Mission  Society  of  Rev.  Mr.  Lindh  as  superinten- 
dent of  the  work  for  Swedes  in  New  England  we  were 
especially  indebted,  particularly  for  his  selection  of  men 
as   pastors. 

The  Memo?-iaI  Church,  Hartford. 

The  most  notable  work  of  the  year,  that  to  which  we 
can  look  back  with  the  greatest  satisfaction,  was  the  set- 
ting of  this  church  firmly  on  its  feet.  We  feel  justified 
in  telling  the  sto'-y  here  with  some  fullness.  The  church 
had  been  organized  for  some  little  time  and  was  wor- 
shiping in  the  chapel  formerly  owned  by  the  then  ex- 
tinct Washington  Avenue  church.  The  building  had  been 
sold  on  foreclosure  and  bought  in  by  Captain  E.  Mor- 
gan.    He  was  asking  no  rent,  but  the  church  felt  insecure 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION       145 

in  Its  tenancy.  There  had  been  talk  of  a  sale,  and  at 
the  October  meeting  of  the  Fxecutive  Committee  Mr. 
Morgan  agreed  to  sell  the  property  to  the  Convention 
for  $8,000  in  cash,  he  reserving  a  claim  for  $1,000  more, 
no  evidence  of  indebtedness  to  be  given,  and  he  not  to  ask 
for  it  from  the  church  till  all  other  debts  had  been  paid. 
It  was  never  asked  for.  At  the  same  meeting  Mr.  James 
Lockwood,  formerly  Treasurer  of  the  Convention, 
offered  $1,000  toward  the  payment.  Mr.  W.  F.  Walker, 
Rev.  C.  A.  Piddock  and  Mr.  James  Lockwood  were  ap- 
pointed agents  of  the  Convention  to  receive  the  property 
and  execute  a  mortgage  for  $7,000.  The  transfer  was 
made  and  the  property  stands  in  the  name  ol"  the  Con- 
vention, i  he  last  business  act  of  Mr.  Lockwood  was 
the  signing  of  a  check  for  the  $1,000. 

The  arrangement  made  with  the  church  was  tljat  the 
Convention  should  pay  the  interest  of  the  mortgage,  and 
all  the  payments  the  church  should  make  v»-ere  to  go  to 
the  reduction  of  the  principal.  New  life  was  put  into 
the  church.  Before  the  meeting  of  the  Convention  they 
had  alreadv  reduced  the  mortgage  by  ifi  1,000.  Rev.  LL 
M.  Thompson  was  called  to  the  pastorate  and  abides 
Avith  the  people  yc"  after  twenty-one  years  of  service. 
The  mortgage  has  long  since  been  cancelled,  the  Con- 
vention paying  the  last  $1,000.  The  beloved  pastor  has 
obtained  a  good  degree,  being  advanced  to  the  doctorate 
and  to  the  presidency  of  the  Convention.  The  church 
has  greatly  enlarged  and  beautified  its  sanctuary,  and  for 
this  a  new  debt  has  been  incurred,  but  such  a  church  will 
find  no  trouble  in  cancelling  it.  In  1888  the  membership 
was   141,   in   1907  it  was  346. 

The  Board  expended  in  aid  to  churches  and  in  sup- 
port of  missions  $2,997.  The  receipts  apart  from  in- 
vested funds  were  $3,561. 

Mr.   James    Lockwood. 

The  tribute  to  the  late  Treasurer  of  the  Convention, 
here  taken  from  the  report  of  the  committee  on 
obituaries,  was  written  by  Rev.  T.  A.  T.  Hanna. 


146  HISTORY  OF  THE 

"The  passing  away  to  the  Better  Land  of  our  friend 
and  brother,  Mr.  James  Lockwood,  is  a  providence  that 
may  well  occupy  the  solemn  thought  of  all  who  knew 
him.  I  knew  him  chiefly  in  his  official  service  as  Treas- 
urer of  the  Convention.  The  amount  of  patient,  plod- 
ding, faithful  work  he  did  during  his  long  term  of  ser- 
vice, the  precious  time  he  took  from  his  own  pressing 
business  cares  to  give  to  this  cause  were  proofs  of  his 
sincere  love  to  it.  He  was  a  buckler  to  the  Convention 
in  many  ways,  one  of  which  was  that  he  would  never  con- 
sent to  let  the  treasury  borrow  m.oney.  When  he  did 
make  an  exception  it  was  when  he  loaned  the  money  him- 
self. 

"We  ministers  who  are  talkers  by  profession  have 
much  to  learn  from  men  who  cannot  talk,  but  who  labor 
faithfully,  act  wisely  and  believe  simply.  Such  a  man 
Mr.  Lockwood  was.  He  himself  furnished  an  instance 
of  the  wisdom  of  supporting  the  weaker  churches,  for 
the  returns  they  make  to  us  of  men.  His  early  life  was 
passed  in  Wethersfield,  which  has  had  for  many  years 
a  struggling  but  faithful   Baptist  church." 

1889.     The  annual  meeting  was  held  with  the  Putnam 
church.  Rev.  J.  R.  Stubbert,  pastor.    The  former 
principal  officers  were  elected.     The  first  place  in  the 

Report  of  the  Board 

is  given  to  the  beginning  of  the  work  in  Winsted.  As 
this  marks  a  conspicuous  advance  in  the  work  of  the 
Convention,  or  rather  a  return  to  the  policy  followed 
during  the  administration  of  Rev.  Dr.  Turnbull,  the 
policy  of  opening  new  interests  in  large  towns  where 
there  was  no  Baptist  church,  we  give  space  to  the  full 
report  made  by  the  Board  on  this  matter. 

The  fVinsted  Church. 

"A  committee  consisting  of  Hon.  J.  L.  Howard,  Rev. 
C.  A.   Piddock  and  P.   S.  Evans,   Secretary  and  Super- 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION       147 

intendent,  had  been  appointed  last  year  to  consider  the 
expediency  of  buying  a  lot  and  building  a  chapel  in  VVin- 
sted.  Mr.  M.  N.  Griswold  of  Winsted  offered  $1,000 
toward  the  purchase  of  such  a  lot.  He  was  added  to 
this  committee.  A  lot  was  purchased  at  the  price  of 
$1,600.  l^he  committee  further  executed  a  bond  for  the 
purchase  of  an  adjacent  lot  and  a  house  thereon  at  such 
a  time  as  it  might  be  on  the  market,  at  a  stipulated  price. 
The  chapel  is  in  the  process  of  erection;  it  is  expected 
to  be  finished  in  November.  No  services  have  yet  been 
held  in  account  of  the  difficulty  of  securing  a  suitable 
place  and  the  unwillingness  to  hazard  a  doubtful  experi- 
ment. .  .  To  provide  for  the  payment  of  the  lot  and 
the  building  of  the  chapel,  the  IVeasurer  was  authorized 
to  appropriate  the  full  amount  of  the  Lucinda  Newton 
bequest,  and  as  much  as  should  be  needed  of  the  proceeds 
of  the  sale  of  the  farm  in  Illinois." 

Missions  Among   the   Germans. 

The  Bridgeport  German  church,  Rev.  William  Ritz- 
man,  pastor,  had  by  and  with  the  consent  of  the  special 
committee  exchanged  their  lot  for  another  in  a  better 
location  and  had  begun  the  erection  of  a  chapel  and 
parsonage.  Mr.  Ritzman  had  collected  within  the  state 
$3,108.92,  of  which  the  churches  and  friends  \\\  Bridge- 
port had  giv^en  $1,270.83.  Other  German  churches  in 
Waterbury,  New  Britain  and  Meriden  were  advancing. 

Swedis h    Ch iircli es . 

The  work  among  the  Sv/edes  In  Bridgeport,  New 
Haven,  New  Britain  and  Hartford  was  prospering 
beyond  our  most  sanguine  expectation.  Yet  this  very 
advance  would  for  some  years  impose  a  still  larger  bur- 
den of  obligation  upon  the  Convention.  There  has  been 
a  rapid  spread  of  Baptist  principles  in  Sweden.  There 
are  497  Baptist  churches  there  and  well  established  edu- 
cational  institutions.      1  here    are    Baptist  members   and 


148  HISTORY  OF  THE 

ministers  among  the  immigrants.  After  the  honorable 
part  the  Missionary  Union  has  taken  in  promoting 
this  work  in  Sweden  we  Baptists  of  Connecticut  cannot 
turn  our  backs  upon  these  struggling  brethren  at  our  own 
doors. 

The  Closing  of  the  Tolland  Church. 

The  difficulties  that  often  confront  the  Board  in  its 
relation  to  the  feeble  churches  are  illustrated  in  the 
case  of  the  Tolland  church.  "Wherever  the  Baptist 
church  is  the  only  one  in  the  field  there  never  can  be  a 
question  of  giving  it  up.  There  are  three  churches  in 
I'olland:  Congregational  and  Methodist,  besides  our 
own.  The  Baptist  church,  once  strong,-  has  become  weak 
through  removal  and  death.  They  are  in  possession 
of  an  attractive  chapel  with  more  conveniences  than  are 
found  in  most  of  our  churches.  There  is  also  a  small 
company  of  intelligent  and  devout  believers,  who  would 
form  a  very  efi'icient  working  force  in  any  community  that 
would  furnish  a  field  for  their  activity.  The  Board 
hesitates  to  appropriate  what  would  be  needed  to  sustain 
the  church  on  this  field,  when  there  are  so  many  destitute 
fields  and  promising  openings  for  new  fields."  Painful  as 
was  the  act,  the  Board  has  since  that  year  followed  out 
this  suggestion.  The  Tolland  church  has  ceased  to  exist. 
The  proceeds  of  the  sale  of  the  property  have  been 
covered  into  the  treasury  to  be  spent  elsev/here.  This 
incident  is  of  value,  as  it  shows  that  the  Convention  is 
not  actuated  by  any  narrow  sectarian  spirit. 

A  New  Enterprise  that  Failed. 

The  business  of  the  Convention  was  suspended  for 
two  hours  on  Tuesday  afternoon  that  the  brethren  might 
attend  the  laying  of  the  corner-stone  of  a  chapel  for  the 
Calvary  Baptist  church  (colored)  in  Putnam.  The 
/  chapel  was  afterwards  built  and  a  fair  degree  of  pros- 
perity was  enjoyed  for  a  few  years.     But  its  history  was 


CX)NNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION       149 

brief,  owing  partly  to  the  small  number  of  colored  people 
living  in  the  vicinity,  but  mostly  to  the  not  infrequent 
difficulty  of  organizing  the  northern  and  lIic  southern 
colored  people  into  harmony.  J  he  title  to  the  property 
was  wisely  vested  in  the  Convention  and  the  proceeds 
of  the  sale  of  the  chapel  have  been  spent  on  other  colored 
churches. 

Joseph  B.  Hoyt  of  Stamford. 

Among  the  obituary  notices  read  at  this  session  ap- 
pears that  of  Mr.  Hoyt.  Mr.  Joseph  B.  Hoyt  died  in 
Stamford,  December  27,  1888,  at  the  age  of  seventy-five 
years.  He  joined  the  Baptist  church  in  that  place  at 
an  early  age.  He  was  for  some  years  a  member  of  the 
Tabernacle  church  in  New  York  City,  where  his  busi- 
ness interests  centered.  Thirty  years  ago  he  returned  to 
his  native  town  and  at  once  identified  himself  with  the 
church  of  which  he  had  been  a  member.  Largely 
through  his  influence  the  two  Baptist  churches  then  exist- 
ing, which  were  both  of  them  weak  and  not  on  the  most 
friendly  terms,  were  brought  together  into  one  strong 
body.  The  writer  of  this  notice  was  the  first  pastor  of 
the  reunited  church.  The  large  church  edifice,  which  still 
stands,  was  built  almost  altogether  at  Mr.  Hoyt's 
expense.  His  gifts  to  the  church  were  large  during  his 
life,  and  at  his  death  he  left  the  church  an  endowment 
of  $30,000  besides  a  parsonage.  He  was  a  liberal  giver 
to  the  Convention  and  to  the  Education  Society  and  to 
the  Suffield  Academy;  also  to  the  Home  and  Foreign 
Missionary  Societies  and  to  the  Rochester  Theological 
Seminary,  a  professorship  in  which  still  bears  his  name. 
He  was  a  conspicuous  example  of  a  consecrated  business 
man,  and  withal  as  modest  and  unassuming  and  friendly 
and  devout  as  the  humblest  member  of  the  church.  He 
was  as  one  of  the  "little  ones"  of  the  flock. 

Twenty-six  churches  and  missions  had  been  aided  at  an 
outlay  of  $2,674.  The  receipts  from  churches,  etc.,  were 
$4,157.     The  farm  in  Illinois,  which  for  several  years 


150  HISTORY  OF  THE 

had  been  carried  as  an  asset  at  $13,295.67,  had  been 
sold  for  $7,000.  A  portion  of  this  had  been  spent  in 
VVinsted,  and  the  remainder  was  destined  to  be  used  in 
planting  the  church  in  Torrington. 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION       ni 


Chapter  IX. 

iS()()-i8gg. 

1890.  The  sixty-seventh  annual  meeting  was  held  with 
the  Middletown  church,  Rev.  W.  G.  Fennell,  pas- 
tor. The  President,  Secretary  and  Treasurer  were  re- 
elected to  office.  In  welcoming  the  Convention,  Pastor 
Fennell  said  that  the  church  was  ninety-five  years  old  as 
a  Baptist  church.  At  the  time  of  its  organization  church 
and  pastor  had  come  bodily  out  of  the  Congregational 
fold.  President  Wayland  said:  "It  is  thirty-three  years 
since  the  Middletown  church  has  welcomed  the  Conven- 
tion, but  that  body  has  gone  on  in  its  blessed  work  of 
planting  new  churches,  aiding  feeble  societies,  widening 
and  deepening  with  ever  increasing  force  the  influence 
of  those  doctrines  which,  derived  from  the  New  Testa- 
ment alone  and  transmitted  to  us  from  godly  ancestors 
on  both  sides  of  the  Atlantic,  are  destined  at  last  to  cover 
the  whole  earth." 

Report  of  the  Board. 

The  report  as  usual  covered  the  whole  field  of  the 
operations  of  the  Convention.  Of  the  Memorial  church, 
Hartford,  the  report  says:  "It  is  an  aggressive,  wide- 
awake church.  The  house  has  been  improved  at  a  con- 
siderable cost,  which  has  all  been  paid.  1  hey  have 
raised  in  all  $1,945."  The  Immanuel  church  in  Bridge- 
port had  been  started  and  the  prospects  were  hopeful. 
It  was  occupying  a  chapel  that  had  been  built  for  a  Union 
Bible-school  and  arrangements  were  being  made  to  put 
the  enterprise  into  the  hands  of  the  Baptists. 

The  Colored  Churches. 

Four  of  these  churches  were  receiving  aid  from  the 
the  Board.     Of  these  the  report  says:     "We  recognize 


152  HISTORY  OF  THE 

the  difficulties  of  this  work.  These  people  are  flocking 
into  our  northern  cities.  They  do  not  feel  at  home  in 
our  churches.  In  some  cases  thev  are  not  made  welcome. 
Our  churches  were  generous  to  them  while  they  remained 
in  the  South.  Can  we  afford  to  be  less  so,  now  that  they 
are  our  neighbors  and  fellow-citizens?  They  bear  our 
name;  we  needs  must  share  their  reproach,  if  reproach 
rests  upon  them  because  of  their  ill-developed  Christian 
and  church  life.  Thanks  to  what  we  have  done  for 
them,  there  are  already  educated  and  refined  men  and 
women  among  them  fitted  to  be  their  spiritual  guides  and 
leaders.  Your  Board  thinks  the  time  has  fully  come 
when  strenuous  efforts  should  be  made  to  put  these  col- 
ored churches  on  a  proper  footing,  and  we  earnestly 
recommend  this  matter  to  your  consideration." 

The  fVinsted  Church. 

The  chapel  had  been  completed  and  furnished  at  a 
cost  to  the  Convention,  not  including  the  thousand  dol- 
lars from  Mr.  Griswold,  of  $5,400  for  land  and  building. 
The  cost  of  heating,  lighting  and  furnishing  had  been 
met  by  subscriptions  collected  by  Mr.  Griswold  from 
Baptists  and  others  in  Winsted.  The  church  was  con- 
stituted June  21  with  thirty-two  members.  A  Bible-school 
and  a  Missionary  Society  had  been  started,  five  had  been 
baptized  and  others  were  soon  to  join.  The  Superinten- 
dent of  Missions  was  supplying  the  pulpit  and  they  were 
raising  ten  dollars  a  week  for  current  expenses.  The 
congregations  filled  the  house  at  almost  all  the  services. 

The  Bridgeport  German  Church. 

The  new  church  edifice  had  been  completed.  Every 
step  taken  had  had  the  full  endorsement  of  the  com- 
mittee of  the  Convention,  though  the  house  had  cost 
more  than  was  originally  intended.  The  total  amount  of 
money  received  up  to  October  1  had  been  $7,729.96.  The 
debt  remaining  was  $.3,700   on  mortgage  and  $225   on 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION       153 

floating  debt.  The  property  was  a  valuable  one  and  it 
was  vested  in  the  Convention.  All  who  had  given  might 
count  themselves  the  richer  for  their  beneficence. 

Work  Among  the  Swedes. 

"The  work  among  these  people  bears  a  very  hopeful 
aspect.  Perhaps  more  easily  than  any  other  foreigners 
they  will  become  incorporated  into  our  American 
churches.  For  a  generation,  however,  the  Gospel  must 
be  preached  to  them  in  their  native  tongue.  To  do  this 
they  must  be  provided  with  chapels.  The  Meriden 
church  is  building  one  at  a  cost  of  $7,000.  Your  Board 
has  pledged  $1,000  on  condition  that  no  debt  be  beyond 
a  $2,000  mortgage  and  that  the  property  be  deeded  to 
the  Convention.  What  is  being  done  in  Meriden  is 
needed  in  New  Haven,  New  Britain  and  Hartford." 

The  Finances. 

A  gratifying  advance  had  been  made  this  year  of 
$1,336  above  the  contributions  of  the  churches  the 
previous  year.  The  schools  had  made  an  Easter  offering 
of  $623,  the  net  returns  for  Easter  programs  sent  out 
by  the  Superintendent.  In  addition  to  this  the  Baptists 
of  the  state  had  given  to  the  Bridgeport  German  church 
for  their  chapel  $2,252,  making  a  total  of  $6,455  for 
state  work.  The  report  further  says:  "The  latest  rally- 
ing cry  is  one  cent  a  day  for  missions  from  every  mem- 
ber. That  would  mean  for  Connecticut  Baptists  $73,000. 
Your  Board  would  gladly  divide  this  sum  with  the  great 
missionary  enterprises,  allowing  $20,000  to  Foreign 
Missions,  $20,000  to  Home  Missions  and  $3,000  to  the 
Publication  Society,  reserving  only  $20,000  to  them- 
selves. This  would  still  leave  $10,000  to  Ministerial 
Education." 

Twenty-eight  churches  and  missions  had  been  aided,  re- 
ceiving $2,907. 

Many  excellent  addresses  were  made  by  the  brethren 
on  different  aspects  of  the  work.  The  pastors  of  some 
of  the  aided  churches  and  missions  were  also  heard. 


154  HISTORY  OF  THE 

The  Bible-schools. 

Rev.  J.  B.  Gow  of  East  Bridgeport,  made  an  able 
and  illuminating  address  on  the  importance  of  the  work 
of  the  Bible-schools.  The  address  is  too  long  for  a 
place  here  and  too  closely  connected  to  bear  dissection, 
a  process  which  in  a  paper  so  full  of  vitality  would  be 
like  vivisection.  A  few  epigrammatical  sentences  must 
content  us.  "A  large  measure  of  Biblical  knowledge  is 
absolutely  necessary  for  the  reception  of  even  the  'pure 
milk'  of  the  gospel  and  still  more  for  the  'strong  meat.' 
To  fulfill  the  injunction  that  we  'cease  to  speak  of  the 
first  principles  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ  and  go  on  to  per- 
fection' implies  that  the  first  principles  shall  have  been 
mastered."  "The  historic  demand  for  the  Scriptures  in 
the  language  of  the  people  needs  to  be  supplemented  by 
the  effort  to  fix  the  Scriptures  in  the  minds  of  the  people. 
The  cooking  stove  apostasy,  the  fair  and  sociable  delus- 
ion, the  craze  for  revivalists  and  Gospel  singers,  are 
excrescences  that  tell  of  a  lack  of  Bible  iron  in  the  blood 
of  our  churches."  Closely  following  this  report,  Profes- 
sor W.  R.  Harper  gave  an  address  on  "The  Bible  Study 
of  To-day." 

1891.      The  sixty-eighth  annual  meeting  was  held  with 
the    First    church.    New    Haven,    Rev.    J.    H. 
Mason,    pastor.      The    former    ofi'icers    were    reelected. 
The  pastor  felicitously  extended  a  warm  welcome. 

Address  of  President  Wayland. 

This  was  a  trumpet-call  to  duty.  He  said  in  part: 
"The  interest  of  this  church  in  state  missions  is  shown 
by  the  increase  of  its  subscription,  which  for  this  year 
is  $600.  We  can  easily,  if  we  will,  hear  the  call  to  duty. 
Wherever  this  call  is  not  heard  above  the  tumult  of 
traffic  and  the  world's  wide  uproar,  there  the  interests  of 
Christ's  kingdom  hold  a  subordinate  place,  and  the 
distinct   command   of   Christ   is   disobeyed.      There    are 


CONNECTICUT  BAP^IIST  CONVENTION       153 

feeble  churches  to  be  aided;  shall  we  allow  them  to  suf- 
fer? There  are  brethren  of  our  own  faith  coming  to 
us  from  over  the  sea,  asking  not  charity  but  assistance  in 
making  a  church  home  in  a  strange  land;  shall  we  refuse 
to  help  them?  There  are  desert  places  thirsting  for  the 
water  of  life;  shall  we  say  that  our  own  supply  is  too 
small  to  be  divided?  Brethren,  we  must  answer  these 
questions  to  our  own  conscience.  Let  us  answer  them 
in  such  a  manner  as  shall  make  the  coming  year  the 
beginning  of  a  new  era  of  spiritual  prosperity,  because 
of  greater  combined  effort  and  greater  individual  self- 
denial." 

Friiitfiihicss   of  the  Mission   Churches. 

Attention  is  called  to  this  in  the  report.  In  the  mis- 
sion churches  there  had  been  138  baptisms,  one  to  every 
thirteen  of  the  members.  In  all  other  churches  there  had 
been  one  baptism  to  thirty  members.  The  mission 
churches  had  been  aided  to  the  amount  of  $2,340.  They 
had  paid  back  in  benevolence  $1,312,  half  as  much  as 
they  had  received,  and  had  raised  for  their  own  expenses 
$11,101.  Truly  the  Convention  had  been  helping  those 
who  helped  themselves. 

Unreported  Gifts  for  State  JVork. 

The  report  called  attention  to  what  has  been  too  often 
overlooked,  the  gifts  from  churches  and  individuals 
made  directly  in  the  interest  of  state  missions,  but  not 
passing  through  the  Convention  treasury.  This  year 
the  Secretary  had  knowledge  of  such  gifts  to  the  amount 
of  $6,328,  which  added  to  the  sum  that  passed  through 
the  hands  of  the  Treasurer  would  make  a  total  of 
$11,050.50  given  for  proper  state  mission  work.  These 
amounts  were  reported  from  the  churches  in  the  columns 
of  benevolence.  We  may  not  suppose  that  so  much  is 
given  every  year  in  this  unrecognized  way,  but  every 
year  a  considerable  sum  is  thus  given  that  does  not  appear 
in  the  transactions  of  the  Convention. 


156  HISTORY  OF  THE 

The  Howard  Aveiu'e  Churcli,  Neiv  Haven. 

This  had  been  for  some  years  a  mission  of  the  Calvary 
Baptist  church.  This  year  it  had  been  organized  as  an 
independent  church  with  a  membership  of  seventy,  drawn 
in  about  equal  numbers  from  the  Calvary  and  the  First 
churches.  The  new  church  was  in  possession  of  a  good 
property  worth  at  least  $12,000,  with  a  debt  of  $3,000. 

A  new  mission  had  been  successfully  started  on  Dixwell 
Avenue  in  New  Haven,  occupying  a  chapel  that  had 
been  used  for  a  Methodist  church.  This  mission  rapidly 
grew  into  a  church  and  was  known  as  the  Olivet  church. 

President  JVayland's  Tribute  to  Dr.  Palmer. 

"Surely  I  do  no  injustice  to  those  who  remain  to  say 
of  him  that  he  was  the  most  conspicuous  figure  in  our 
annual  gatherings,  the  acknowledged  Nestor  at  our  coun- 
cil board.  We  shall  not  soon  forget  his  dignified  bearing 
or  the  beauty  of  his  apostolic  face,  the  tender  tones  of  his 
voice,  the  prevailing  charm  of  his  Christlike  spirit.  To 
have  known  such  a  man  well  is  a  liberal  education ;  to 
have  been  within  the  scope  of  his  influence  and  example 
should  be  a  life-long  inspiration." 

Twenty-four  churches  and  missions  had  received  aid. 
There  had  been  paid  into  the  treasury  $4,902.50.  A 
bequest  of  $1,500  had  been  received  from  Alfred 
Francis. 

The  Work  of  the  Young  People. 

This  year  witnessed  the  recognition  by  the  Convention 
of  the  work  that  was  being  carried  on  in  our  churches  by 
the  young  people's  societies  organized  under  different 
names.  In  1890  a  committee  had  been  appointed  to  re- 
port on  the  general  subject  this  year.  This  report  was 
presented  by  Rev.  Kittridge  Wheeler  of  the  South  church, 
Hartford,  in  the  form  of  six  resolutions,  which  were 
adopted: 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION       157 

1.  "Resolved,  That  we  gratefully  welcome  the  upris- 
ing of  our  young  people  in  the  name  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  manifested  both  in  the  Y.  P.  S.  C.  E.  and  in  other 
young  people's  associations. 

2.  "Resolved,  That  without  interfering  with  any 
other  alHance,  we  cordially  recommend  all  these  societies 
among  our  Baptist  churches  to  associate  themselves  with 
the  Young  People's  Baptist  Union  of  America. 

3.  "Resolved,  That  the  constitution  of  the  Conven- 
tion be  so  amended  as  to  invite  each  young  people's  as- 
sociation of  Vv^hatever  name,  connected  with  a  Baptist 
church  in  the  state,  to  send  a  delegate  to  our  annual 
meeting,  and  that  a  place  be  provided  in  the  program  for 
the  proper  consideration  of  the  special  work  of  the  young 
people. 

4.  "Resolved,  That  we  recommend  similar  action  on 
the  part  of  the  associations  of  the  state  with  reference 
to  the  Young  People's  Movement. 

5.  "Resolved,  That  we  cordially  commend  to  our 
young  people  the  excellent  and  able  paper  published  by 
our  society  in  Philadelphia,  'Our  Young  People's  Union.' 

6.  "Resolved,  That  a  commiteee  of  seven  on  the 
work  of  our  young  people  be  appointed,  to  be  known  as 
a  'Central  Committee  of  Advice  and  Correspondence.' 
To  this  committee  shall  be  entrusted  the  duty  of  entering 
into  correspondence  with  all  the  young  people's  societies 
in  our  churches,  securing  reports  from  them,  circulating 
literature  among  them,  making  suggestions  as  to  plans 
of  work,  holding  rally  meetings,  and,  in  any  way  which 
may  approve  itself  to  them  as  desirable,  increasing  the 
efficiency  of  these  societies  and  promoting  their  unity." 

The  committee  of  seven  called  for  in  these  resolutions 
was  appointed  and  consisted  of  the  following  persons: 
P.  S.  Evans,  J.  S.  James,  Archibald  Wheaton,  C.  H. 
Brown,  Henry  Clarke  and  F.  A.  Betts. 

1892.      The   sixty-ninth    annual    meeting  was   held   with 

the  Willimantic  church.  Rev.  J.  Bunyan  Lemon, 

pastor.     The  officers  of  last  year  were  reelected.     The 


158  HISTORY  OF  THE 

Willimantic  church  had  been  founded  in  1828  and  it  was 
the  second  church  to  receive  aid  from  the  Convention. 
So  the  Convention  was  coming  to  its  own.  The  pastor 
extended  the  customary  welcome  and  the  President  re- 
sponded. 

Tribute  to  Joseph  W.  Dimock. 

This  tribute  to  the  memory  of  Brother  J.  W.  Dimock, 
prepared  by  Rev.  Dr.  James,  had  been  adopted  by  the 
Board  and  made  a  part  of  its  record: 

"Joseph  W.  Dimock  was  born  at  Rocky  Hill,  March 
15,  1801.  He  died  in  the  ninety-second  year  of  his  age, 
at  Hartford,  March  24,  1892.  He  was  baptized  into  the 
fellowship  of  the  First  church,  April  29,  1816,  and  con- 
tinued to  be  a  consistent,  faithful,  active  member  until 
his  death,  a  period  of  seventy-six  years.  He  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Board  of  Managers  of  the  Convention  from 
a  time  reaching  beyond  the  memory  of  any  survivor. 
As  a  boy  of  thirteen  he  was  present  at  the  organization 
of  the  first  Baptist  foreign  missionary  society  of  the 
state,  and  continued  to  be  warmly  interested  in  all  enter- 
prises to  extend  the  Redeemer's  kingdom.  His  life  was 
not  so  remarkable  for  its  length  as  for  its  singular  sweet- 
ness and  purity.  He  was  a  vigorous,  active  business  man 
and  church  member  until  within  a  few  days  of  his  death. 
He  seemed  to  walk  in  two  worlds,  having  a  lively  sym- 
pathy with  the  men  and  interests  of  this  world,  and  yet 
so  close  to  the  other  that  his  translation  scarcely  led 
him  through  the  shadow  of  death." 

Reports  from  the  Field. 

Pastor  Rohnstrom  of  Meriden  spoke  for  the  Swedes: 
"The  work  began  in  1882.  That  year  fifteen  Swedish 
Baptists  came  to  Bridgeport  and  organized  a  church. 
When  they  had  twenty-five  members  they  began  to 
build.  They  have  a  good  chapel,  though  still  some- 
what in  debt.  They  have  now  one  hundred  and 
forty-nine  members.  The  second  church  was  the  one 
in     New     Haven,     organized     the     same     year.       Now 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION       159 

they  have  a  membership  of  fifty,  but  have  as  yet  no 
chapel.  In  1883  a  church  was  started  in  New  Britain 
and  a  fine  house  is  In  process  of  erection.  In  1887  a 
church  started  In  Merlden.  It  has  now  seventy  mem- 
bers and  a  commodious  chapel,  not  yet  quite  paid  for. 
In  1888  a  church  was  organized  In  Hartford,  which  has 
a  membership  of  fifty-four  and  meets  In  the  South 
church." 

Rev.  O.  F.  PIstor  of  New  Britain  spoke  for  the  Ger- 
mans:  "The  German  settles  his  relation  to  the  church 
soon  after  coming  to  this  land.  If  not  speedily  won  to 
Christ  he  is  not  likely  to  be  won  at  all.  The  Germans 
m.ust  be  something;  if  not  for  Christ  they  will  be  against 
him."  There  were  at  this  time  six  German  churches: 
New  Haven,  self-supporting,  Merlden,  also  self-support- 
ing, New  Britain,  Bridgeport,  Waterbury  and  Seymour. 

Pastor  Clark  of  WInsted  said:  "I  have  no  discourage- 
ments to  report.  We  never  have  the  blues,  even  If  we 
have  difl'Iculties.  These  are  but  spurs  to  new  efforts. 
The  people  are  a  willing  people,  with  large  hopes.  If 
there  ever  was  any  feeling  of  hostility  In  the  community, 
it  has  disappeared.  The  foundations  were  laid  wisely. 
We  are  fully  organized  for  all  departments  of  church 
work.  We  are  trying  to  become  self-supporting,  and 
soon  shall  be." 

The  general  discussion  on  the  work  of  the  Board  was 
full  and  earnest.  Excellent  reports  were  given  by  the 
several  committees  on  Home  and  Foreign  Missions, 
State  of  Religion,  etc.  Rev.  J.  F.  Burditt  of  the  Telugu 
Mission  was  present  and  made  a  most  stirring  address  on 
the  trials  and  successes  of  his  work  among  those  interest- 
ing people. 

Report  of  Conimittee  ou  Work  of  Young  People. 

The  committee  on  this  work,  appointed  last  year  under 
the  title  of  Committee  on  Correspondence  and  Advice, 
reported  through  Its  chairman.  Rev.  P.  S.  Evans,  Secre- 
tary and  Superintendent: 


160  HISTORY  OF  THE 

"Your  committee  respectfully  report  that  they  have 
had  several  meetings  through  the  year  and  have  been  in 
correspondence  with  all  the  societies  of  young  people  in 
the  state.  Two  general  public  meetings  were  held  in 
Hartford,  which  were  well  attended.  Reports  were  re- 
ceived from  101  churches,  80  of  which  had  societies  of 
young  people,  with  a  membership  of  4,464.  Your  com- 
mittee also  arranged  for  a  series  of  rallies  for  Bible 
study  and  discussion  of  practical  topics.  These  were  held 
in  Danielson,  New  London,  Deep  River,  New  Britain 
and  Bridgeport.  Pastors  Nordell,  Genung,  Stone,  James, 
Mason  and  Poteat  rendered  most  valuable  service,  as 
did  the  local  pastors;  and  many  of  the  young  people  pre- 
sented admirable  papers.  The  micetings  were  largely 
attended  and  thought  to  be  very  helpful.  The  expense 
of  travel  and  printing,  somewhat  large,  was  fully  and 
exactly  met  to  a  cent  by  the  offerings  taken.  The  hold- 
ing of  these  meetings  and  of  the  delegated  meeting  in 
Hartford  has  resulted  in  the  formation  of  the  Baptist 
Young  People's  Union  of  Connecticut.  The  first  meet- 
ing of  this  Union  was  held  on  the  evening  of  Monday 
preceding  the  meeting  of  the  Convention.  To  this  new 
and  vigorous  society  your  committee  has  entrusted  the 
further  prosecution  of  this  work  and  now  asks  to  be  dis- 
charged." 

The  first  meeting  of  the  Union  referred  to  was  largely 
attended  and  quite  enthusiastic.  It  had  been  determined 
after  full  discussion  that  the  organization  should  be  inde- 
pendent of  the  Convention,  care  being  taken  that  a  special 
time  should  be  set  apart  by  the  Convention  officers  for 
the  meetings,  and  a  report  of  those  meetings  should  be 
printed  in  the  minutes  of  the  Convention.  The  plan  first 
adopced  has  been  carried  out  through  the  succeeding  years. 
It  adds  another  society  to  those  which  gather  around  the 
Convention  as  their  center.  This  movement  has  resulted 
in  drawing  the  young  people  into  closer  sympathy  and 
helpfulness  in  our  state  work.  It  is  a  matter  of  regret 
to  the  compiler  of  this  sketch  of  the  Convention's  his- 
tory that  space  cannot  be  given  to  the  meetings  of  this 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION       161 

body.  This  is  as  impossible  as  it  is  to  give  room  for  the 
Education  Society,  the  Ministers'  Conference,  and  the 
Social  Union. 

Thirty  churches  and  missions  had  received  aid  this 
year,  to  the  amount  of  $4,375.  Of  this  $1,000  had  been 
paid  as  the  balance  of  the  mortgage  on  the  property  of 
the  Memorial  church.  The  church  had  raised  $6,000 
besides  paying  all  current  expenses.  The  Convention 
had  paid  the  interest  on  the  fast  diminishing  debt. 

In  this  year's  minutes  the  secretary  published  a  map 
of  the  state,  indicating  the  location  of  all  Baptist  churches 
and  furnishing  other  valuable  statistics.  There  are  158 
townships,  in  88  of  which  there  were  no  Baptist  churches. 
In  32  of  these  townships  there  were  fewer  than  one  thou- 
sand inhabitants,  and  in  26  others  fewer  than  two  thou- 
sand. In  1890  the  population  of  the  entire  state  was 
746,138.  Of  this  number  22,745  were  Baptists,  or  one 
in  33.  Had  the  adults  alone  been  counted  the  proportion 
of  Baptists  would  have  been  somewhat  larger;  and  had 
those  of  foreign  birth  been  omitted  our  proportion  would 
have  been  considerable. 

1893.  The  seventieth  anniversary  was  held  with  the 
Second  Danbury  church  in  its  new  sanctuary, 
October  17  and  18.  The  officers  of  last  year  were  re- 
elected. In  the  absence  of  the  President  the  Vice-Presi- 
dent, Mr.  L.  A.  Gallup,  took  the  chair,  and  addressing 
the  Convention  said: 

"I  notice  that  this  is  our  seventieth  anniversary.  We 
have  reached  that  dignified  age  when  a  great  deal  of 
wisdom  is  supposed  to  have  been  accumulated.  Certain- 
ly our  fathers  gave  evidence  of  wisdom  in  their  purpose. 
We  have  increased  in  material  wealth.  It  becomes  us  to 
have  newer  and  better  ideas  of  usefulness.  The  object 
of  this  Convention  is  stated  to  be  'to  promote  the  preach- 
ing of  the  Gospel  and  the  organization  and  maintenance 
of  churches  and  Sabbath-schools.'  Some  of  us  think  that 
the  Sabbath-school  is  of  equal  importance  with  preaching. 
But  our  program  does  not  provide  for  anything  except 


162  HISTORY  OF  THE 

a  report  from  the  Sunday-schools.  Can  we  do  our  whole 
duty  by  giving  it  into  the  hands  of  a  committee  to  report 
next  year?" 

Changes  Within  Seventy  Years. 

The  report  of  the  Board  called  attention  to  some  of 
these  changes.  "The  old  Danbury  Association  began 
the  work  of  state  missions,  which  the  Convention  seventy 
years  ago  was  organized  to  carry  on  and  extend 
through  the  state.  Among  the  churches  whose  delegates 
met  for  this  purpose  we  find  a  number,  then  strong,  that 
are  now  among  our  aided  churches.  Only  fifty-two  of  the 
eighty  churches  then  represented  are  on  our  records  now. 
Twenty-five  of  the  eighty  have  ceased  to  exist,  while  three 
have  changed  their  names.  It  is  wonderful  that  the  pas- 
tors and  delegates  of  the  churches  so  soon  to  be  depleted, 
and  some  of  them  to  be  wiped  out,  were  the  very  ones 
who  were  foremost  in  providing  for  the  changed  condi- 
tions. Eighty-two  churches  have  been  organized  within 
the  seventy  years.  Nearly  all  of  these  have  been  in  some 
degree  beneficiaries  of  the  Convention. 

"What  means  have  the  Baptists  of  the  state  put  into 
the  hands  of  the  Board  to  carry  on  this  work?  A  some- 
what careful  compilation  of  quite  imperfect  returns  shows 
that  the  total  direct  contributions  have  fallen  short  of 
$140,000.  Of  course  a  good  deal  has  been  given  that 
has  not  passed  through  the  hands  of  the  Boards.  But 
when  we  find  that  the  Baptists  of  the  state  in  a  single 
year  (1892)  raised  for  all  religious  purposes  the  large 
sum  of  $243,000,  or  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  million,  we 
cannot  but  feel  chagrined  that  in  seventy  years  they  have 
given  for  all  the  diversified  work  of  the  Convention  only 
an  average  of  $2,000." 

Missions  to  the  Italians  Advocated. 

The  report  of  the  Board  thus  refers  to  this  matter: 
I  "Nor,  brethren,  can  we  longer  remain  indifferent  to  the 
*       welfare  of  the  thousands  of  Italians  who  are  coming  into 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION       163 

our  state,  many  of  whom  will  settle  permanently  among 
us.  It  is  said  that  of  all  the  Papists,  the  Italians  are  least 
attached  to  the  Papacy,  In  the  fatherland  they  have 
acquired  a  love  of  national  freedom,  which  the  Roman 
hierarchy  is  doing  its  best  to  suppress." 

In  the  discussion  on  this  feature  of  the  report.  Rev.  C. 
L.  Rhoades  of  Stamford  said:  "I  have  been  brought 
into  contact  with  this  people  and  have  found  them  a  very 
devout  people.  It  needs  the  outpouring  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  that  we  may  speak  to  them  in  their  own  tongue  the 
things  of  God.  I  have  had  the  privilege  of  baptizing  a 
few  of  them  already.  I  am  ready  to  open  my  heart  and 
my  church  to  any  for  whom  Christ  died." 

It  was  this  address  of  Pastor  Rhoades  that  resulted 
in  opening  the  work  among  this  people,  of  which  we  have 
heard  so  much  since.  It  was  his  first  convert  from  among 
this  people,  Pasqual  De  Carlo,  who  was  employed  as  the 
first  missionary.  Though  afterwards  he  wrought  us 
much  harm,  and  fellowship  was  withdrawn  from  him, 
yet  in  the  beginning  of  his  work  much  good  was  done 
that  has  lasted  In  spite  of  his  defection. 

Twenty-five  churches  and  missions  received  In  aid 
$2,765,  besides  which  special  aid  was  given  to  other 
churches,  the  whole  aggregating  $4,000.  In  addition 
large  sums  had  been  given  for  city  missions  and  for 
chapel-building,  Including  $9,000  by  Mr.  Joslah  Hull  of 
Cheshire  for  a  chapel  In  that  town.  A  church  was  subse- 
quently started  there  and  has  been  helped  by  the  Board, 
but  the  results  obtained  do  not  seem  to  have  justified  the 
enterprise.  The  returns  of  1907  show  that  after  four- 
teen years  of  effort  there  are  but  thirty-six  members  in 
the  church.  It  was  a  case  of  misdirected  zeal  on  the  part 
of  the  good  brother.  That  amount  of  money,  if  it  had 
been  put  at  the  disposal  of  the  Board,  would  have  been 
expended  in  a  more  promising  field. 

1894.     The  seventy-first  annual  meeting  was  held  with 

the  Central  church,  Norwich,  Rev.  J.  D.  Herr, 

D.D.,  pastor.     The  President,  Secretary  and  Treasurer 


164  HISTORY  OF  THE 

were  reelected.  Dr.  Herr  in  his  address  of  welcome  said 
in  part:  "This  is  the  seventh  time  the  Convention  has 
made  a  visit  to  this  city.  The  old  huilding  in  which  the 
fathers  worshipped  is  long  since  gone.  We  welcome  you 
to  our  newest  church  home.  In  this  city  Isaac  Backus 
was  born.  From  this  place  his  mother  was  taken  to  the 
jail  in  New  London  because  she  would  worship  God  ac- 
cording to  the  dictates  of  her  own  conscience.  We  wel- 
come you  to  this  historic  place  where  Washington  often 
came  and  held  councils  of  war,  and  where  lie  the  bones 
of  Uncas,  tiie  Indian  chief.  We  hope  you  will  carry 
away  with  you  pleasant  memories  of  the  city,  which  has 
been  called  the  'beautiful  rose  of  New  England.'  " 

Revivals  and  Evangelistic  Labors. 

From  the  report  of  the  Board  we  gather:  "It  has 
been  a  year  of  unusual  depression  in  business,  but  the 
year  of  financial  distress  has  proved,  as  so  often  before, 
a  year  of  special  ingathering.  The  baptisms  reported 
last  year  were  900;  this  year  we  report  1,318.  There 
has  been  also  very  little  decline  in  the  benevolence  of  the 
churches." 

The  Board  had  secured  the  services  of  Rev.  Drew  T. 
Wyman  as  State  Evangelist.  Fie  had  held  meetings  in 
Rockville,  Hartford,  V'oluntovvn,  Jewett  City,  Winsted 
and  Mystic,  giving  satisfaction  everywhere,  and  the  Lord 
blessing  his  labors.  In  his  report  Brother  Wyman  says: 
"During  the  82  days  I  have  preached  74  times,  given  52 
Bible  readings,  12  prayer  meeting  and  Sunday-school  ad- 
dresses, besides  the  singing  and  inquiry  meeting  work. 
There  have  been  206  who  have  enrolled  themselves  as 
earnest  inquirers.  The  num.ber  who  will  join  the  churches 
I  cannot  estimate."  It  would  have  been  the  joy  of  the 
committee  to  engage  Mr.  Wyman  for  permanent  evan- 
gelistic work  had  the  means  been  in  sight. 

Loans   to   Churches. 

Out  of  certain  legacies  the  Board  had  loaned  $1,000 
to  the  Swedish  church.  New  Britain,  and  the  same  amount 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION       lb5 

to  the  German  church,  Waterbury.  This  form  of  church 
aid  should  receive  greater  attention  than  has  formerly 
been  bestowed  on  it.  "When  large  sums  are  given  to  a 
church  for  building  or  repairs  they  should  be  considered 
only  as  a  temporary  loan  without  interest,  to  be  paid  back 
in  instalments,  a  mortgage  note  being  given  on  the 
property.  Thus  the  money  would  find  its  way  back  to  be 
used  again  and  again.  The  creation  of  a  'loan  fund'  of 
this  character  might  also  attract  donations  and  legacies." 

Tiie  Mission  to  the  French. 

This  work  had  been  abandoned  several  years  for  lack 
of  a  fit  worker.  Rev.  Daniel  Leclere  had  been  placed 
in  the  field.  The  letter  of  the  Putnam  church  to  the  Ash- 
ford  Association  spoke  of  the  encouragement  it  had 
found  in  the  additions  to  its  number  from  the  French 
mission. 

Student  Supplies. 

It  occurred  to  the  Board  that  students  could  be  secured 
from  the  seminaries  and  employed  through  the  summer 
months  to  advantage.  Rev.  W.  G.  Fennell  and  Mr.  J. 
W.  Manning,  with  the  Secretary,  were  made  a  committee 
to  have  this  work  in  charge.  Two  such  students  were 
secured  from  the  middle  class  at  Newton,  Mr.  G.  A. 
Martell  and  Mr.  E.  B.  Dolan,  who  labored  respectively 
in  Eastford  and  West  Hartford.  Most  satisfactory 
reports  had  come  from  these  fields.  The  charges  were 
$100  each  and  expenses.  The  cost  to  the  Convention 
had  been  only  $90  for  both. 

General   Reviezv    of   Aided    Churches. 

"We  have  made  appropriations  to  thirty-three 
churches  and  missions,  assisting  in  the  support  of  men 
who  are  preaching  the  glad  tidings  to  a  lost  world.  Two 
of  these  men  are   ministering  to   our  colored  brethren, 


166  HISTORY  OF  THE 

two  of  them  to  our  German  brethren,  six  to  the  Swedes 
among  us,  one  to  the  French.  Eighteen  are  employed 
as  pastors  of  our  American  churches.  Is  this  an  insig- 
nificant work?  Shall  we  feel  less  interest  In  these  our 
brethren  at  our  own  door  than  in  those  far  off  ?  Shall 
it  not  count  for  something  in  our  work  that  all  know 
where  and  what  the  work  is,  and  who  the  workers  are? 
The  Board  has  expended  on  this  work  $5,287,  of  which 
$2,000  were  special  gifts  in  equal  amounts  to  the  New 
Britain  Swede  and  the  Waterbury  German  churches  in 
aid  of  their  building  funds." 

1895.  The  seventy-second  annual  meeting  was  held 
with  the  First  church,  Bridgeport,  Rev.  G.  W. 
Nicholson,  pastor,  in  its  new  and  beautiful  house  of  wor- 
ship. Ninety-four  churches  were  represented  by  three 
hundred  and  fourteen  delegates. 

Report  of  the  Board. 

Thirty  churches  and  missions  had  received  in  aid 
$3,292,  had  spent  in  benevolence  $1,342,  and  on  their 
own  fields  $12,871,  and  reported  96  baptisms.  The  gen- 
eral benevolence  of  all  the  churches  in  the  state  exhibited 
an  increase  over  last  vear  of  $9,000.  The  baptisms  were 
925. 

Messiah  Church,  Bridgeport. 

"This  church  has  been  making  heroic  efforts  to  provide 
itself  with  a  suitable  house  of  worship.  The  Board  has 
found  itself  unable  to  extend  much  aid.  The  means 
available  for  such  church  building  have  been  exhausted 
in  gifts  to  other  churches.  The  need  here  has  been  so 
urgent  that,  with  the  cordial  approval  of  many  of  the 
brethren  in  Bridgeport,  the  church  has  entered  upon  the 
enterprise.  The  people  have  paid  $1,800  for  a  lot  and 
raised  $1,800  towards  a  building  that  will  cost  in  all 
J'^7,000.     A  mortgage  has  been  negotiated   for  $4,000. 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION       167 

Interest  on  this  will  be  $100  less  than  they  have  been 
paying  for  the  very  wretched  and  unwholesome  premises 
they  have  been  occupying." 

New  Haven  Swede  Church. 

"This  is  the  oldest  of  all  our  Swede  churches,  and  has 
done  excellent  work.  They  have  been  greatly  hindered 
from  the  first  for  want  of  a  suitable  place  of  worship, 
occupying  at  present  a  lodge  room  in  the  third  story  of 
a  building  on  a  very  noisy  street.  The  Lutheran  and 
the  Congregational  Swede  churches  are  well  housed. 
There  are  over  two  thousand  Swedes  in  New  Haven. 
Because  of  these  unfavorable  conditions  the  church  seems 
as  far  from  being  established  as  it  was  ten  years  ago. 
They  contemplate  the  purchase  of  a  little  chapel  at  a 
cost  of  $3,000,  which  with  an  outlay  of  a  few  hundred 
can  be  made  available  for  sev^eral  years.  They  ask  your 
Board  to  do  for  them  what  it  has  done  for  other  Swede 
churches.  A  generous  help  at  first  is  far  more  helpful 
than  a  little  doled  out  for  many  years." 

We  are  glad  to  be  able  to  add  that  this  appeal  bore 
fruit,  and  the  church  put  into  possession  of  this  house  has 
made  far  more  satisfactory  progress  in  the  years  that 
have  followed.  The  five  other  Swede  churches  were  re- 
ported as  prospering.  The  Bridgeport  church  had  be- 
come entirely  self-supporting. 

Rev.  W.  H.  .Johnson,  Evangelist. 

"Pursuant  to  the  instructions  of  the  Convention,  the 
Board  secured  the  services  of  Brother  Johnson  as  State 
Evangelist.  Our  brother  held  services  in  six  churches, 
all  of  which  were  well  attended  and  resulted  in  accessions 
of  membership.  The  most  fruitful  was  in  Groton,  where 
the  converts  numbered  one  hundred  and  twenty-two.  The 
evangelist  felt  the  need  of  a  tent  for  summer  work.  The 
cost  of  the  tent  with  its  furnishings,  the  lamps  being 
given  by  Edward  Miller,  and  the  organ  loaned  by  the 


168  HISTORY  OF  THE 

F^i^tey  Organ  Company,  was  only  $234.  This  amount 
was  collected  by  special  subscription.  The  tent  was 
pitched  in  Branford,  Moosup,  Preston  and  Norwich. 
The  experiment  has  been  fully  justified." 

New  Fields  of  Work  Opening. 

"Perhaps  first  among  these,  not  because  of  any  cer- 
tainty of  immediate  success  but  because  of  our  supreme 
duty  to  these  strangers  in  our  land,  we  mention  the  neces- 
sity of  providing  missions  to  the  Italians.  More  than 
any  other  Romanists,  these  people  are  accessible  to  Pro- 
testant truth.  The  claim  has  also  frequently  been  made 
and  we  believe  justly,  that  Baptists,  of  all  Protestant 
denominations,  can  most  consistently  and  most  success- 
fully oppose  the  hierarchical  tyranny  and  expose  the  vain 
traditions  of  the  Papal  church;  because  they  alone  have 
stripped  off  the  last  remnant  of  the  rags  that  clothe  the 
scarlet  woman.  Yet  the  one  solitary  Baptist  mission 
among  these  people  is  the  one  sustained  by  the  Stamford 
church.  It  needs  our  aid.  We  only  await  the  word  from 
the  Convention. 

"The  village  or  town  of  Torrington  offers  an  open 
door.  A  partial  canvass  of  the  place  by  Rev.  W.  G. 
Fennell  and  the  Superintendent  has  convinced  these  breth- 
ren that  an  'effectual  entrance'  cannot  be  made  there 
unless  we  are  prepared  to  offer  similar,  if  not  equal 
financial  aid  to  that  which  we  gave  in  Winsted.  Yet 
lorrington  is  a  larger  and  faster  growing  town  than 
Winsted,  has  fewer  churches  and  a  larger  constituency 
to  reach  and  appeal  to." 

A  Reminiscence   of  Fifty    Years  Ago. 


Rev.  Dr.  Phelps,  who  had  attended  every  Convention 
for  fifty  years,  said:  "Fifty  years  ago  you  met  in  New 
London.  The  easiest  way  for  me  to  reach  that  distant 
place  from  New  Haven  was  to  take  the  steamboat  for 


RH\.   S.    URMJEX    PHELPS,   D.D. 


CONNECTICUT  BAP'JIST  CONVENTION       1(j9 

New  York,  stop  in  Brooklyn  over  night,  take  the  Long 
Island  train  to  Greenport,  and  then  the  steamer  to  New 
London.  Rev.  Jabez  S.  Swan  was  President  of  the 
Convention.  Rev.  Emory  Shailer  was  the  missionary. 
They  raised  $1,440  for  your  work  and  gaAc  $505  among 
the  churches.  The  church  at  Waterbury  received  $35. 
The  church  at  Torrington  was  received  into  the  Con- 
vention; I  do  not  know  what  became  of  it.  The  church 
at  Montville  was  also  received,  though  I  am  sure  there 
had  been  one  there  before.  There  was  great  need  of 
money  for  foreign  missions.  Enthusiasm  was  aroused 
by  the  President  offering  twenty-five  dollars  extra  as  his 
gift,  and  five  hundred  dollars  were  that  evening  raised 
for  this  purpose.  One  hundred  delegates  were  present." 
The  doctor  was  right  as  to  the  Montville  Union  church 
received  that  year.  There  had  been  two  churches,  be- 
tween which  a  union  had  been  effected,  and  of  this  the 
Montville  Union  was  the  fruit.  The  Torrington  he  re- 
ferred to  was  the  church  in  Newfield  district,  four  miles 
from  the  village,  then  known  as  Wolcotville.  Before  this 
year  of  1895  closed  the  new  Torrington  church  was  or- 
ganized and  entered  upon  its  successful  career. 

1896.  The  sev*enty-third  annual  meeting  was  held  with 
the  First  New  London  church,  Rev.  F.  G.  Mc- 
Keever,  pastor.  The  Convention  was  called  to  order  by 
the  retiring  President,  Hon.  Francis  Wayland,  LL.D.  In 
extending  a  welcome  to  the  Convention  Pastor  McKeever 
said,  among  other  good  words: 

"We  welcome  you  for  what  you  have  been,  for  what 
you  are,  and  for  what  you  will  be.  Unless  all  the  signs 
fail,  more  will  be  required  of  State  Conventions  in  the 
future,  especially  in  the  New  England  states,  than  in  the 
past.  Opportunities  will  be  offered  that  will  eclipse  all 
that  have  gone  before.  More  and  more  we  shall  be  com- 
pelled to  care  for  the  spiritual  welfare  of  our  common- 
wealth 'every  one  over  against  his  own  house.'  The 
French  are  here,  many  of  them  increasingly  distrustful  of 
their  mother  church  and  earnestly  asking  for  light.     Italy 


170  HISTORY  OF  THE 

is  here,  not  the  Italy  of  history,  and  art,  and  song,  and 
poetry,  but  benighted,  superstitious,  almost  savage  Italy, 
distrustful  of  their  priests,  hostile  to  the  Pope,  yet  know- 
ing not  the  path  of  freedom.  These  and  others,  some 
more  hopeful  material  for  citizenship  and  Christianity, 
some  less  so.  It  shall  be  ours  to  point  the  way  for  all. 
Then  may 

'dialects  unheard, 

At  Babel,  or  at  Jewish  Pentecost, 
Now  first  articulate,  divinest  sound. 
And  swell  the  universal  anthem.'  " 

Changes  fVithin  Fifteen  Years. 

In  the  report  of  the  Board  the  Secretary  called  atten- 
tion to  the  changes  which  had  occurred  in  the  state  in  the 
fifteen  years  since  the  Convention  had  met  with  this 
church.  Of  the  pastors  then  serving  the  120  churches, 
only  four  remained  in  the  service  of  the  same  church,  and 
of  the  remainder  only  six  were  left  in  the  ministry  of 
the  state.  Since  1881  twenty-seven  new  churches  had 
been  organized,  among  which  were  nine  churches  in  which 
a  foreign  tongue  was  spoken.  Of  the  twenty-eight 
churches  then  aided  four  had  dropped  out  by  the  way, 
but  eleven  of  them  were  now  self-supporting.  "Certainly 
the  remembrance  of  what  has  been  done  in  fostering  these 
churches  into  strength  should  stimulate  us  in  the  work  we 
are  now  doing." 

The  whole  number  of  baptisms  in  the  churches  this 
year  was  1,255.  Of  these  118  were  from  the  mission 
churches. 

The  New  Torrington  Church. 

"In  December  last,  after  careful  survey  of  the  field 
with  Brethren  Fennell  and  Piddock  and  consultation  with 
the  Baptists  who  were  anxious  for  the  work  to  be  begun, 
it  was  decided  to  begin  public  preaching  in  a  hall.  After 
only  a   few  weeks  of   trial   the   prospect  seemed  so   en- 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION       171 

couraging  that  a  council  was  called  of  the  churches  In  the 
Hartford  Association  and  some  of  the  Convention,  and 
a  church  of  twenty-nine  members  was  recognized.  The 
Board  authorized  a  special  appeal  to  the  churches,  and 
Si, 200  had  already  been  received.  The  church  has  pur- 
chased a  lot.  Also  by  the  expenditure  of  $350  they  have 
fitted  up  the  J'own  House  as  a  place  of  worship." 

The  Italian  Mission  Begun. 

This  work,  so  long  under  consideration  by  the  Board, 
had  been  entered  upon.  Pasqual  DaCarlo  had  been  ap- 
pointed missionary,  half  of  his  salary  to  be  paid  by  the 
Home  Mission  Society.  He  prosecuted  the  work  with 
assiduity,  preaching  every  Sabbath  in  Stamford  and  in 
New  Haven  and  frequently  in  Bridgeport  and  other 
places.  This  work,  so  tardily  begun,  has  since  grown  in 
magnitude  and  interest  till  it  has  become  one  of  the  most 
important  departments  of  the  Convention.  It  has  en- 
countered trials  and  met  with  severe  disappointments, 
chiefly  from  the  defection  of  two  of  the  brethren  in  whom 
we  trusted.  Yet  even  these  things  have  happened  for  the 
furtherance  of  the  Gospel.  It  was  so  evidently  of  the 
Lord  that  the  Board  has  never  withdrawn  from  its  sup- 
port. 

Relation  of  the  Home  Mission  Society. 

In  this  summary  of  the  history  of  the  Convention  we 
may  not  have  made  it  sufficiently  evident  that  in  all  the 
work  we  have  done  for  the  foreigners  in  the  state  the 
Home  Mission  Society  has  always  been  an  equal  partner 
with  the  Convention,  both  in  counsel  and  in  expense.  This 
has  been  altogether  true  in  regard  to  the  appointment  of 
missionaries  and  the  payment  of  their  salaries;  not  so 
much  so  in  regard  to  the  building  of  chapels;  though  even 
in  this  we  have  received  some  grants  from  the  Church 
Edifice  F  und  of  the  Home  Mission  Society. 


172  HISTORY  OF  THE 

Change  of  Presidents. 

Hon.  Prancis  Wayland  had  served  ten  years  as  Presi- 
dent and  insisted  on  being  relieved  from  the  office.  By 
reason  of  his  high  social  position,  his  familiarity  with 
parliamentary  law,  and  his  deep  personal  interest  in  the 
work  of  the  Convention,  he  had  filled  this  office  with 
exceptional  ability.  The  committee  on  nomination  of 
officers  presented  for  the  office  of  President  the  name 
of  William  A.  Grippen  of  Bridgeport.  Mr.  Grippen  was 
unanimously  chosen  to  this  position,  which  he  continued 
to  hold  for  four  years.  Rev.  P.  S.  Evans  was  again 
chosen  Secretary,  and  W.  F.  Walker,  Treasurer. 

A  Veteran  in  the  Service. 

In  the  discussion  on  the  report  of  the  Board  a  number 
of  the  men  laboring  on  the  field  were  heard  from.  Among 
these  was  Rev.  N.  T.  Allen  of  Poquonoc  Bridge,  who  con- 
tinued his  unique  and  useful  ministry  to  that  people  for 
four  years  longer.  We  let  him  speak  for  himself  in  this 
record:  "1  '"-^ve  been  in  the  ministry  for  fifty-three  years. 
I  have  been  on  the  present  field  eight  years.  It  was  a 
part  of  my  field  forty-eight  years  ago.  I  am  now  preach- 
ing to  the  grandchildren  of  some  I  baptized  in  that  early 
ministry.  The  church  is  small  and  promises  to  be.  Yet 
the  past  winter  forty  or  fifty  were  converted  and  thirty- 
nine  v/ere  baptized  and  five  received  by  letter."  This  is 
a  most  remarkable,  indeed  an  unprecedented  record,  con- 
sidered as  the  result  of  the  labors  of  a  man  who  had 
been  fifty-three  years  in  the  ministry.  To  him  the  promise 
was  abundantly  fulfilled,  "He  shall  bring  forth  fruit  in 
old  age." 

Thirty  churches  and  missions  had  been  aided  by  the 
Board  at  an  expense  of  $5,073,  including  special  do- 
nations of  $1,500  to  Torrington  and  $500  to  rhe  Messiah 
of  Bridgeport.  A  debt  of  $4,780  was  reported,  but  it 
was  lessened  by  pledges  given  to  the  amount  of  $1,000. 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION       173 

A  Change  in  the  Siiperintendency. 

At  the  first  meeting  of  the  Board  Mr.  Evans,  at  his  own 
request  was  reHeved  of  the  duties  of  Superintendent,  that 
he  might  give  his  time  to  the  young  church  in  Torrington. 
He  retained  the  office  of  Secretary  for  a  period  of  six 
years  longer.  Rev.  C.  A.  Piddock,  who  previous  to  his 
purchase  of  the  Christian  Secretary  had  served  as  Super- 
intendent for  a  term  of  eighteen  months,  and  who,  hav- 
ing now  sold  the  paper,  was  again  available  for  this 
service,  was  unanimously  chosen  to  the  position,  which  he 
continued  to  fill  for  a  term  of  five  years. 

1897.  The  seventy-fourth  annual  meeting  was  held  with 
the  Asylum  Avenue  church  of  Hartford,  Rev.  G. 
M.  Stone,  D.D.,  pastor.  W.  A.  Grippen  was  President,  P. 
S.  Evans,  Secretary,  and  W.  F.  Walker,  Treasurer. 

Rev.  Dr.  Stone  in  welcoming  the  Convention  said:  "In 
the  nam.e  of  this  and  the  four  sister  churches  of  this  city 
we  give  you  a  welcome.  Twenty-five  years  ago  today 
this  building  was  dedicated  to  the  worship  of  God.  While 
our  church  history  has  been  hedged  within  the  terminal 
limits  of  twenty-five  years,  we  have  been  closely  allied 
with  the  work  of  the  Convention  for  a  much  longer 
period.  The  Treasurer  of  the  Convention,  Mr.  Ware- 
ham  Griswold,  was  a  member  of  this  church  from  its  for- 
mation. Mr.  James  Lockwood,  his  successor,  was  a  mem- 
ber with  us,  and  so  also  is  Rev.  C.  A.  Piddock,  the  Super- 
intendent of  Missions." 

Mr.  Grippen,  the  President,  said:  "One  year  ago 
there  was  a  general  feeling  of  depression  and  discourage- 
ment in  our  land,  in  things  botli  secular  and  religious. 
This  has  since  been  dispelled,  and  the  sunshine  of  prosper- 
ity is  again  flooding  the  land.  That  the  Convention  has 
had  some  share  in  this  improvement  I  believe  the  reports 
will  shov/.  The  efforts  of  your  Superintendent  have  been 
untiring.  Let  us  inscribe  on  our  banners  and  work  to  the 
sentiment,  'Connecticut  first,  and  the  whole  world  at  the 
same  time.'  " 


174  HISTORY  OF  THE 

The  Chapel  in   Torrington. 

The  building  of  this  chapel  had  occupied  the  attention 
of  the  special  committee,  Hon.  J.  L.  Howard,  Rev.  C.  A. 
Piddock  and  Rev.  P.  S.  Evans,  for  several  months.  We 
anticipate  the  reports  of  a  few  years  in  order  to  present 
in  brief  the  history  of  this  enterprise.  The  chapel  was 
so  far  finished  in  October,  1897,  that  the  Superinten- 
dent of  Missions  was  able  to  say  of  it  in  his  report,  "The 
beautiful  chapel  is  nearly  ready  for  dedication  and  is  a 
delight  to  all  who  see  it."  It  was  dedicated  within  a  few 
weeks  of  that  time.  The  entire  cost  including  land,  and 
filling,  and  building,  and  furnishing  was  $9,800.  Of  this 
the  Convention  paid  $4,532,  including  the  nearly  $2,000 
specially  contributed.  There  was  raised  on  the  field 
$3,367.  A  mortgage  was  placed  on  the  property  for 
$2,000.  This  was  in  a  few  years  liquidated  from  a  legacy 
of  $4,000  left  by  Mr.  Elisha  Turner  of  Torrington,  who 
had  been  a  Baptist  for  many  years  and  a  member  of 
the  First  church  in  New  London.  Additional  ground  has 
since  been  secured  by  the  church  and  a  comfortable  par- 
sonage bought.  In  the  ten  years  that  have  since  elapsed 
the  value  of  the  property  has  greatly  increased.  Mean- 
while the  population  of  Torrington  has  nearly  doubled. 

Report  of  the  Field  Secretary. 

The  reports  of  the  Field  Secretary,  Rev.  C.  A.  Pid- 
dock, were  for  this  and  several  following  years  made  a 
part  of  the  report  of  the  Board.  These  reports  gave  de- 
tailed accounts  of  the  condition  of  the  aided  churches 
and  the  several  missions,  as  well  as  of  the  personal  labors 
of  the  Field  Secretary  himself.  Of  all  this  only  the 
briefest  summary  can  be  given  in  this  historical  sketch. 

This  Convention  year,  during  his  ten  months  of  ser- 
vice, Mr.  Piddock  had  held  evangelistic  services  in  several 
churches,  always  with  encouraging  results,  and  had  de- 
liv^ered  addresses  in  forty  churches.  In  the  course  of  his 
varied   labors   he   had   personally   visited   all   the   aided 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION       175 

churches  and  missions,  familiarizing  himself  with  their 
condition.  Of  the  Italian  work,  so  lately  undertaken,  he 
says:  "Since  the  beginning  of  the  year  we  have  had  an 
Italian  colporteur.  Brother  Massimino,  at  work  in  New 
Haven  and  Southington.  It  is  probable  that  we  shall  in 
the  near  future  be  able  to  enlarge  our  efforts  in  this 
promising  field."  He  reported  the  conditions  on  all  the 
fields  as  hopeful  and  closed  his  report  with  this  appeal: 
"We  should  enlarge  our  work  among  the  Swedes  and 
Germans  as  well  as  the  Italians,  and  there  are  still  other 
foreigners  that  need  to  be  reached.  Evidently  the  plan 
of  systematic  beneficence  has  not  yet  been  adopted,  even 
if  considered,  by  our  people.  The  ideal  will  not  be  reached 
till  we  have  a  contribution  from  every  Baptist,  young  and 
old,  in  the  state." 

There  was  given  in  aid  $3,000,  besides  the  gift  for 
the  chapel  in  Torrington.  At  the  beginning  of  this  Con- 
vention year  there  was  a  total  indebtedness  of  $5,152. 
Before  the  minutes  were  printed  the  Secretary  was  able 
to  add  a  supplementary  note  to  the  effect  that,  from  the 
contributions  during  the  year,  and  the  special  effort  made 
in  the  sessions  of  the  Convention,  the  running  expenses  of 
the  year  had  been  met  and  the  debt  reduced  to  less  than 
$1,000. 

While  the  Convention  was  still  in  session  notice  was 
received  of  the  death  of  Brother  Midian  N.  Griswold  of 
Winsted,  who  had  taken  so  active  a  part  in  the  founding 
of  the  church  in  that  town.  Hon  James  L.  Howard  and 
Rev.  P.  S.  Evans  were  appointed  to  attend  the  funeral 
services  as  representatives  of  the  Convention.  A  fuller 
notice  of  this  worthy  brother  is  found  in  the  necrology 
prepared  for  this  volume. 

The  Seventy-fifth   Anniversary   of   the   Convention. 

1898.     The  meeting  was  held  this  year  with  the  First 
church,    Meriden,    Rev.  W.   G.    Fennell,   pastor. 
Brother  Fennell  had  been  pastor  of  the  church  in  Middle- 
town  in  1890,  when  the  Convention  met  with  that  church. 


176  HISTORY  OF  THE 

He  was  therefore  not  unfamiliar  with  the  pleasure  of 
extending  a  welcome  to  the  brethren  engaged  in  a  work 
to  which  he  had  been  vitally  related  for  many  years,  being 
himself,  as  we  have  seen  before,  in  a  sense  a  child  of  the 
Convention.  In  his  welcome  he  gave  interesting  state- 
ments of  the  history  of  the  Meriden  church  which  deserve 
recording  here. 

A  Little  Baptist  History. 

"We  welcome  you  to  historic  ground.  Baptist  history 
goes  back  in  this  community  to  1731.  Groton  was  the 
first  church  in  the  state  In  1705,  Waterford  the  second 
in  1710.  Waterford  established  a  branch  church  in 
Wallingford  in  1731,  and  it  was  called  the  'Third  Baptist 
church  in  Connecticut.'  What  is  now  Meriden  was  then 
a  part  of  Wallingford.  The  place  of  meeting  was  three 
miles  southeast  of  this  place.  Rev.  John  Merriam  was 
ordained  here  and  afterward  preached  for  many  years 
in  Southington.  His  death  is  dated  1784,  and  on  his 
tombstone  he  Is  styled  a  'Calvlnistic  Anti-Pa-do-Baptist 
Minister.'  His  ministry  was  to  the  center  of  the  state 
what  Valentine  WIghtman's  was  to  southeastern  Con- 
necticut. This  early  church  after  some  years  ceased  to 
exist.  But  Baptists  are  Baptists,  and  these  only  waited 
an  opportunity  to  begin  their  services  again.  In  August. 
1786  the  First  Wallingford  church  was  formed.  This 
church  granted  letters  to  form  the  Second  Wallingford 
church,  In  what  Is  now  known  as  Wallingford  proper. 
With  the  setting  off  of  the  town  of  Meriden  it  was  found 
that  the  F'irst  Wallingford  church  was  In  the  limits  of  the 
new  town  of  Meriden.  So  here  we  are,  originally  the  First 
Wallingford,  now  the  First  Meriden.  This  church  passed 
its  century  mark  two  years  ago.  Many  of  its  pastors 
have  been  men  of  power  and  influence  in  the  state :  Samuel 
Miller,  Harvey  Miller,  Dr.  D.  H.  Miller,  Dr.  H.  A. 
Cordo,  Dr.  B.  O.  True,  and  J.  V.  Garton.  Our  brother, 
Edward  Miller,  Is  a  grandson  of  the  first  of  the  nam.e  and 
a  nephew  of  the  second." 


CONNKCTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION       177 

President  Grippen  in  his  address  said:  "The  period  of 
seventy-five  years  has  passed  into  history,  leaving  a  record 
which  is  a  memorial  to  those  to  whom  the  Convention 
owes  its  existence.  During  the  year  just  closing  rumors 
of  war,  and  later  the  stern  realities  of  actual  warfare, 
have  been  disturbing  factors,  diverting  thought  and  action 
from  Convention  interests.  Under  a  favoring  Providence 
these  untoward  circumstances  have  been  removed,  and 
with  peace  comes  increased  responsibility.  Shall  it  not  be 
met  with  energetic  and  progressive  action?" 

The  JVar  with  Spain. 

The  report  of  the  Board,  like  the  address  of  the  Presi- 
dent, speaks  of  the  effect  of  the  war  in  lessening  our 
resources  and  impairing  the  activities  of  the  churches, 
the  latter  result  being  seen  in  the  falling  off  in  the  number 
of  additions.  Our  churches  had  contributed  their  full 
share  toward  the  volunteer  forces  placed  at  the  disposal 
of  the  President.  The  Vice-President  of  the  Conventioii 
had  resigned  a  lucrative  practice  to  accept  a  captaincy  in 
a  Connecticut  regiment.  A  son  of  the  Field  Secretary, 
and  sons  of  at  lea  t  two  of  our  pastors,  had  enlisted, 
besides  no  doubt  many  others  of  our  young  men.  So 
ready  was  the  response  of  the  country,  and  so  quickly 
was  the  war  ended,  that  not  a  single  regiment  or  com- 
pany of  Connecticut  soldiers  was  sent  to  the  seat  of 
war.  Large  sums  of  money,  however,  were  expended 
through  private  channels  for  the  spiritual  wants  of  our 
soldiers  in  camp.  Of  these  moneys  our  churches  had 
given  their  full  quota.  Whether  the  war  was  avoidable  or 
not,  two  beneficient  results  have  followed  It.  It  awakened 
in  the  South  a  fervent  patriotism  for  the  old  flag  and  the 
reunited  country,  so  that  the  men  who  in  the  earlier  sad 
strife  had  worn  the  gray  and  those  who  had  worn  the 
blue  once  more  stood  side  by  side  under  the  starry  flag. 
Better  still,  the  terms  of  peace  were  such  as  to  open  up 
new  and  promising  territory  for  the  soldiers  of  the  cross 
to  conquer  for  the  Prince  of  Peace. 


178  HISTORY  OF  THE 

A  Few  Figures  for  the  Seventy- five  Years. 

The  Secretary  printed  in  this  year's  minutes  a  brief 
summary  of  the  statistics  for  the  three-quarters  of  a  cen- 
tury just  passed.  He  does  not  claim  absolute  accuracy, 
as  this  cannot  be  obtained  from  the  imperfect  returns. 
The  money  expended  for  state  missions  was  $226,739. 
The  largest  amount  for  one  year  was  in  1889,  when  it 
was  $10,933.  The  membership  of  the  churches  had 
risen  from  8,236  in  1832  to  25,191  in  1898.  The  Bap- 
tisms for  the  period  considered  were  49,902.  Within 
this  period  thirty  churches  had  ceased  to  exist  and  ninety 
new  churches  had  been  organized. 

Report  of  the  Field  Secretary. 

This  gives  in  ample  fulness  the  condition  of  all  the 
churches  aided.  The  Secretary  had  visited  and  preached 
in  over  fifty  churches.  In  some  of  these  he  had  conducted 
revival  services.  In  speaking  of  the  French  mission  he 
says:  "The  French  population  in  Ashford  Association 
is  nearly  40,000.  We  have  but  one  missionary  among 
them  all.  The  work  has  not  made  such  advance  as  we 
had  hoped.  Brother  Tetrault  has  labored  with  assiduity, 
and  his  wife  has  been  a  good  helper.  What  we  should  do 
for  this  people  more  than  we  are  doing  is  a  question  that 
should  be  carefully  considered  by  the  Board,  or  rather  by 
the  Convention  of  which  the  Board  is  but  the  servant." 
An  attractive  chapel  had  been  built  in  the  town  of 
Cheshire  by  the  generosity  of  Mr.  Hull.  The  Board  had 
aided  in  the  support  of  Rev.  R.  A.  Nichols  as  pastor  and 
the  prospects  seemed  favorable. 

Rev.  G.  W.  Nicholson's  Report  on  Missions. 

The  reports  of  committees  on  foreign  and  home  mis- 
sions, and  on  many  other  vital  interests,  form  a  very 
important  feature  in  all  the  meetings  and  occupy  a  large 
space  in  our  minutes.     It  is  a  physical  impossibility  to  find 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION       179 

room  to  include  them  in  this  history.  These  reports, 
many  of  them  very  able,  are  listened  to  with  interest  and 
printed  in  full  in  the  minutes.  There  they  receive  honor- 
able burial,  and  know  no  resurrection.  This  report  of 
Brother  Nicholson  should  have  furnished  inspiring 
themes  for  every  pulpit.  It  should  have  been  put  into  the 
hands  of  every  member.  He  made  impressive  reference 
(1)  to  the  results  of  the  war,  in  opening  new  fields  for 
mission  work  in  the  islands  of  the  sea;  (2)  to  the  mar- 
velous successes  on  our  foreign  fields,  an  average  of  one 
baptism  every  two  hours,  night  and  day,  for  eighty-four 
years,  one  Baptist  church  every  two  weeks;  (3)  and  to 
the  mighty  results  from  the  Student  Volunteer  Movement, 
which  had  placed  thousands  of  our  young  men  and  women 
at  the  service  of  the  missionary  boards. 

The  Last  Reference  to  Crescent  Beach. 

In  the  report  of  the  committee  on  Bible-school  work 
we  find  this :  "We  recommend  that  your  committee  be 
empowered  to  confer  with  a  committee  of  the  State  Bap- 
tist Young  People's  Union  to  consider  the  desirability  of 
conjointly  assuming  the  indebtedness  of  the  Crescent 
Beach  Tabernacle,  now  amounting  to  $2,300,  provided 
absolute  control  be  given,  and  the  property  be  deeded  to 
them  for  their  use."  This  report  was  adopted,  as  re- 
ports usually  are,  but  it  must  have  been  without  much 
consideration  for  in  the  next  year's  report  we  find  no 
reference  to  the  matter.  So  the  often  expressed  purpose 
of  establishing  a  permanent  Baptist  Chautauqua  was 
allowed  to  lapse. 


1899.  The  seventy-sixth  annual  meeting  was  held  with 
the  First  Waterbury  church,  Rev.  F.  T.  Parry, 
pastor.  Mr.  William  A.  Grippen  was  reelected  Presi- 
dent, Rev.  P.  S.  Evans,  Secretary,  and  W.  F.  Walker, 
Treasurer. 


180  HISTORY  OF  THE 

Report  of  the  Board. 

From  this  we  make  a  few  extracts:  "The  returns  of 
last  year  showed  the  smallest  number  of  additions  to  our 
churches  for  the  ten  years  preceding.  There  were  last 
year  691.  This  year  there  is  a  further  falling  off,  the 
number  being  only  494.  Fifty  of  the  churches  report 
no  baptisms  at  all.  It  is  hoped  that  this  session  will  be 
marked  by  a  tone  of  deep  spirituality  and  earnest  prayer, 
that  may  be  the  precursor  of  a  great  awakening  am-ong 
our  churches.  The  Board  desires  to  bear  its  witness  to 
the  readiness  with  which  the  President  has  devoted  his 
time  and  business  ability  and  his  money  to  the  interests 
of  the  Convention.  While  this  has  been  true  of  all  your 
Presidents,  it  is  not  invidious  to  say  that  it  is  most  em- 
phatically true  of  Mr.  Grippen.  The  total  appropria- 
tions in  aid  amount  to  $4,143,  the  largest  amount,  ex- 
cluding special  gifts  for  building  and  repairs,  given  in  any 
year  of  our  history.  Yet  the  Board  has  httn  compelled 
to  refuse  some  deserving  appeals." 

Report  of  the  Field  Secretary. 

He  had  visited  fifty-two  churches  in  the  prosecution  of 
his  work.  He  says:  "I  have  as  far  as  possible  responded 
to  the  calls  for  evangelistic  services  and  have  given  my 
entire  thought  to  the  interests  of  the  work  entrusted  to 
me."  Of  the  French,  mission  he  says:  "Though  the  gain 
has  been  small  and  the  work  in  many  respects  discourag- 
ing, yet  it  would  be  a  mistake  to  abandon  it.  The  con- 
verts often  move  to  other  places  and  become  substantial 
supporters  of  mission  work  in  other  fields."  He  speaks 
hopefully  of  the  work  among  the  Swedes  and  Germ.ans. 
7'here  were  at  this  time  three  Itahan  missionaries  on  the 
field:  DaCarlo,  Ceretta  and  Mazzucca. 

Rev.  .John  H.  Strotig  on  the  State  of  the  Churches. 

The  report  on  the  state  of  religion  in  the  churches  was 
given  by  Rev.  John  H.  Strong.  'While  many  other  re- 
ports, which  we  have  been  obliged  to  pass  over,   were 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION       181 

equally  worthy  of  attention,  yet  because  of  the  special 
timeliness  of  this  one,  and  because  Mr.  Strong  was  him- 
self one  of  the  best  exponents  among  our  pastors  of  that 
personal  consecration  and  devoted  evangelical  ministry 
to  which  he  summoned  his  brethren,  it  seemed  fit  to  give 
it  a  place  in  this  record.     We  quote  him  only  in  part: 

"The  figures  to  which  we  have  turned,  first  of  all,  for 
indication  as  to  the  religious  condition  of  our  churches 
have  not  proved  encouraging.  Four  hundred  and  ninety- 
four  baptisms  have  been  reported  for  the  year.  One  hun- 
dred and  forty  churches  have  received  this  number  of 
new  members,  an  average  of  three  persons  to  one  church. 
Or,  twenty-five  thousand  professing  Christians  have  per- 
suaded four  hundred  and  ninety-four  people,  taking  a 
year  to  do  it,  to  become  Ciiristians,  an  average  of  one 
convert  to  fifty  Christians.  We  have  to  go  back  eighteen 
years  to  find  so  small  a  number  of  additions.  Without 
quesdon,  brethren,  the  year  has  been  one  of  general 
spiritual  decline,  of  weak  witnessing  for  Christ. 

"Where  lies  the  responsibility  for  this?  Not  primarily 
on  the  times,  the  tendency,  the  tide.  Other  Christian 
bodies  have  floated  down  the  stream  for  a  year  with  us. 
Yet  not  on  the  tide  does  the  responsibility  rest.  Let  us 
not  ascribe  the  failure  to  the  obstacles  which  God  put  in 
our  way  for  us  to  overcome,  and  so  to  accelerate  our 
progress  and  growth.  This  year's  decline  would  not  have 
taken  place  if  we  pastors  of  the  churches  had  been,  in 
fact  as  in  name,  men  of  God  filled  with  the  spirit  of  God's 
Son. 

"W^e  acquiesce,  we  do  not  strongly  enough  believe. 
There  is  not  the  disposition  among  us  generally  to  stake 
all,  even  our  lives,  on  the  naked  word  of  God,  and  put 
Him  to  the  test.  Wesley  knew  the  power  of  consecrated 
human  service  when  he  said,  'Give  me  one  hundred  men 
who  love  nothing  but  God,  fear  nothing  but  sin,  and 
know  nothing  but  Jesus  Christ  and  him  crucified,  and  I 
will  set  this  world  on  fire.'  The  heart  of  God,  I  take  it, 
is  hungering  for  channels  through  which  to  pour  his 
saving  power;  yet  there  are  so  few  to  offer  themselves 


182  HISTORY  OF  THE 

willingly,  so  few  to  test  the  power  of  surrendered  lives." 
The  reading  of  this  report  made  so  deep  an  impression 
that  the  business  of  the  Convention  was  suspended  and 
nearly  an  hour  was  spent  in  prayer  for  the  baptism  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  upon  the  pastors  of  the  churches. 

Statistics  for  the  Decade — i8go-i8gg. 

Membership,  25,243;  baptisms,  9,122;  for  state  mis- 
sions, $46,478;  for  Education  Society,  $14,067;  total 
benevolence,  $493,085;  for  church  expenses,  $2,099,912; 
total  expenditure,  $2,600,113. 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION       183 


Chapter  X. 

igoo-igoy. 

1900.  The  seventy-seventh  annual  meeting  was  held 
with  Calvary  church,  New  Haven,  October  16 
and  17.  In  the  absence  of  the  President,  the  Rev.  G.  W. 
Nicholson  was  appointed  Chairman.  The  address  of 
welcome  was  given  by  Mr.  W.  H.  Douglass,  and  re- 
sponded to  by  the  Chairman.  The  annual  sermon  was 
preached  by  Rev.  F.  G.  McKeever  of  New  London. 

Report  of  the  Board. 

"This  year  marks  the  completion  of  the  seventy- 
seventh  year  of  your  history.  Within  this  period  you 
have  expended  on  your  work  about  $236,000.  The  exact 
amount  it  is  difficult  to  ascertain.  Nor  can  we  tell  how 
much  has  been  given  directly  by  the  churches  for  what  is 
properly  mission  work  in  the  state,  which  has  not  passed 
through  the  hands  of  the  Treasurer  of  the  Convention. 
The  baptisms  for  the  sixty-three  years  for  which  alone 
the  precise  figures  are  available  were  45,000.  It  is  safe 
to  estimate  for  the  unreported  years  6,500.  This  would 
make  a  total  of  51,500,  more  than  twice  the  number  of 
the  present  membership.  How  much  of  this  increase  is 
due  to  the  labors  of  the  missionary  pastors  and  helpers 
it  is  impossible  to  ascertain.  But  if  the  proportion  of 
the  last  few  years  holds  good  for  the  entire  period,  it  will 
be  seen  that  the  money  spent  for  state  missions  has 
proved  the  most  profitable  part  of  the  investments  our 
churches  have  made  for  the  extension  of  the  kingdom 
of  our  Lord. 

"The  tide  of  immigration  has  not  yet  begun  to  ebb.  A 
less   desirable  element  is  pouring  into   our  state.     The 


1S4  HISTORY  OF  THE 

census  of  a  single  factory  in  the  borough  of  Torrington 
disclosed  the  fact  that  fourteen  distinct  nationalities  were 
among  its  employees.  The  postm.aster  of  the  borough 
asserts  that  twenty-two  nationalities  are  resident  within 
his  district.  For  only  four  of  these  ha\  e  we  made  any 
provision  to  give  the  Gospel.  You  have  cione  something 
for  the  Germans  in  the  past.  You  are  doing  something 
for  the  Swedes  now.  So  also  for  the  Italians,  and  a 
little  for  the  French.  Yet  it  all  seems  so  little  in  propor- 
tion to  the  urgent  needs. 

"The  general  outlook  is  more  encouraging  thajti  last 
year.  Some  of  the  churches  have  done  well  in  paying  off 
debts.  The  fine  edifice  of  the  Bridgeport  church  is  almost, 
if  not  altogether,  free  from  encumbrance.  The  Dan- 
bury  church  has  made  substantial  progress  in  cancelling 
its  indebtedness.  Towards  this  your  Field  Secretary  has 
given  much  assistance,  as  this  also  falls  well  within  the 
sphere  of  his  labors.  There  have  been  twenty-five  changes 
in  the  pastorate  and  nineteen  new  ministers  have  come 
into  the  state.  It  is  evident  that  this  constant  inconstancy 
in  our  ministry  is  a  formidable  obstacle  in  the  prosecution 
of  our  work.  We  cannot  but  regret  that  any  possible 
remedy  for  this  evil  does  not  properly  fall  within  the 
province  of  the  Convention." 

The  baptisms  for  this  year  were  828,  nearly  double 
those  of  last  year. 

Report  of  the  Field  Secretary. 

On  the  matter  of  the  Endowment  Fund  the  Secretary- 
reports:  "At  the  last  meeting  of  the  Convention  it  was 
resolved  that  an  effort  be  made  to  secure  a  special  endow- 
ment fund  of  $10,000,  and  a  committee  of  eight  was 
formed  to  carry  this  purpose  into  effect.  Subscriptions 
were  secured  to  the  amount  of  $4,000,  chiefly  from  the 
m.embers  of  the  committee,  these  being  conditioned  on  t'^.e 
whole  amount  being  raised.  We  regret  to  report  that 
we  have  failed  to  secure  this  amount,  and  we  refer  the 
matter  back  to  the  Convention  for  any  action  that  may 
seem  desirable." 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION       185 
Sivedes  in  Hartford  Build  a  Church. 

During  the  year  the  Swedes  in  Hartford  had  succeeded 
in  buiiding  a  commodious  chapel  in  a  very  good  neighbor- 
hood, at  a  total  cost  of  $13,000.  It  was  a  large  enter- 
prise for  so  small  a  church  to  undertake,  there  being  but 
eighty-one  members,  and  these  in  very  humble  circum- 
stances. Yet  over  $4,000  was  paid  by  the  members 
themselves,  $2,500  being  given  by  other  Baptists  in  the 
city,  and  $1,500  by  friends  outside.  A  mortgage  for 
$5,000  remained  on  the  property,  but  the  interest  on  this 
would  be  less  than  the  rent  of  any  suitable  hall.  The 
zeal  and  resourcefulness  of  the  Swedish  brethren  were 
such  that  there  was  no  fear  but  that  they  would  soon  work 
themselves  free  from  all  indebtedness. 

The  Field  Secretary  gave  a  full  report  of  the  condi- 
tion of  all  the  aided  churches  and  of  the  work  of  the 
missionaries.  There  were  three  Italian  missionaries  and 
one  French  missionary  on  the  field,  at  an  expense  to  the 
Convention  of  $1,427.  Twenty- four  churches,  including 
two  German  and  five  Swedish,  had  received  aid  to  the 
amount  of  $1,889.  These  churches  had  given  in  benevo- 
lence $1,283,  and  for  home  expenses  $11,871.  The  num- 
ber of  baptisms  reported  from  the  entire  mission  field 
was  ninety-seven. 

The  Retirinc/  and  the  Incoming  President. 

It  will  be  noticed  by  the  attentive  student  of  the  history 
of  the  Convention  that  for  the  first  forty  years  of  the 
Convention's  existence  there  was  a  change  in  ihe  presi- 
dency nearly  every  year,  so  that  no  one  man  could  formu- 
late and  carry  out  any  plan  of  his  own  for  Convention 
work.  But  for  twenty-five  of  these  years  Rev.  E.  Cush- 
man  was  the  Secretary  of  the  society.  In  default  of  a 
permanent  President,  the  continuity  of  his  tenure  of  office 
left  in  the  hands  of  the  Secretary  the  shaping  of  the  policy 
of  the  Convention.  Since  1870  what  seems  a  better  plan 
has  been  followed.  The  Convention  has  chosen  to  the 
Presidency  men  to  whom   it  could   entrust  the   shaping 


186  HISTORY  OF  THE 

of  the  policy  to  be  pursued,  and  has  kept  them  in  office 
for  a  term  of  years,  that  they  might  carry  out  these  plans 
by  and  with  the  advice  of  the  Board,  and  especially  of  the 
Executive  Committee,  which  being  a  smaller  body  could 
be  more  frequently  consulted.  Hon.  James  L.  Howard 
held  the  office  for  six  years,  Rev.  Dr.  Sage  for  three, 
Mr.  W.  S.  Bronson  for  four.  Dean  Wayland  for  ten,  and 
William  A.  Grippen  for  four  years.  Guided  largely  by 
the  plans  of  these  able  and  deeply  interested  men,  upon 
whom  the  Convention  had  placed  such  responsibilities, 
better  results  were  obtained  than  formerly.  No  one  of  all 
these  men  had  been  more  conspicuous  in  the  performance 
of  his  duties,  had  given  more  time  and  earnest  thought,  or 
been  more  liberal  in  money  contributions  than  Mr.  Grip- 
pen.  The  Field  Secretary,  in  seeking  his  counsel,  had  made 
large  drafts  upon  his  time,  and  all  these  drafts  had  been 
honored.  Mr.  Grippen's  large  business  ability  and 
knowledge  of  affairs,  together  with  his  strong  personal 
Interest  in  the  work  of  the  Convention,  fitted  him  admir- 
ably for  the  position  of  President,  and  It  was  with  very 
sincere  regret  that  the  Convention  heard  that  he  could 
not  consent  to  continue  in  the  office. 

The  Committee  on  Nominations  presented  the  follow- 
ing ticket,  which  was  ratified  by  the  Convention:  Carnot 
O.  Spencer  for  President,  Rev.  G.  W.  Nicholson  for  First 
Vice-President,  Adams  P.  Carroll  for  Second  Vice-Presi- 
dent, Rev.  P.  S.  Evans  for  Secretary,  and  William  F. 
Walker  for  Treasurer.  At  its  first  meeting  the  Board 
reappointed  Rev.  C.  A.  PIddock  as  Field  Secretary. 

When  the  election  of  officers  had  been  declared  the  act- 
ing Chairman,  Rev.  G.  W.  Nicholson,  inducted  the  new 
President  into  the  chair  with  appropriate  remarks,  to 
which  Mr.  Spencer  made  fitting  reply.  For  five  years 
Mr.  Spencer  continued  in  office,  with  increasing  efficiency 
and  popular  approval. 

The   Ten    Thousand  Dollar  Permanent  Fund. 

During  the  discussion  of  the  report  of  the  Board  at- 
tention was  called  to  the  raising  of  the  Centennial  Fund 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION       187 

of  ten  thousand  dollars.  Under  the  inspiring  appeals  of 
the  presiding  officer  several  large  subscriptions  were  re- 
ceived. Deacon  George  Morse  offered  $1,000,  Hon. 
James  L.  Howard,  $1,550  and  W.  L.  Douglass,  $500. 
Smaller  subscriptions  were  made  to  the  amount  of  $230. 
In  all  $5,730  was  secured  towards  the  fund. 

The  Committee  on  Enrollment  reported  an  attendance 
of  326  delegates  this  year,  against  262  last  year. 
Churches  represented  were  117,  as  against  98  last  year. 
Ninety-four  of  the  delegates  were  pastors. 


1901.     The  seventy-eighth  annual  meeting  was  held  with 

the  First  church.  New  Britain,  Rev.  J.  H.  Strong, 

pastor.     No  change  was  made  in  the  principal  officers. 

The  pastor  gave  a  gracious  welcome  to  the  Convention. 

The  Address  of  President  Spencer. 

made  a  deep  impression.  We  give  in  brief  its  principal 
points : 

"First,  The  membership  of  our  churches  needs  to  be 
more  fully  informed  of  the  nature  and  character  of  the 
work  being  done.  As  a  means  to  this  end  I  advocate  the 
publishing  by  the  Convention  of  a  monthly  periodical.  In 
the  absence  of  any  Baptist  state  newspaper  or  journal, 
the  need  of  some  medium  for  the  giving  of  intelligence 
seems  to  be  imperative. 

"Second,  The  necessity  of  more  interest  on  the  part  of 
the  pastors.  This  work  has  its  place,  and  that  no  inferior 
one,  among  the  larger  missionary  operations  of  our  de- 
nomination. As  a  layman,  I  urge  our  pastors  to  take 
this  matter  upon  their  hearts. 

"Third,  The  Convention  should  have  a  permanent 
fund  sufficiently  large  to  pay  the  salaries  and  ordinary 
expenses  of  the  Convention.  This  once  secured,  we  could 
appeal  to  our  churches  for  means  to  prosecute  our  work. 
The  Conventions  of  all  our  New  England  States,  Con- 
necticut alone  excepted,  have  such  a  fund. 


188  HISTORY  OF  THE 

"Fourth,  A  new  condition  now  confronts  us.  In  the 
past  we  have  sent  our  missionaries  to  the  ends  of  the 
earth.  Now  the  ends  of  the  earth  have  come  to  our  own 
doors.  The  Anglo-Saxon  element  is  no  longer  the  domi- 
nant element  among  us.  At  least  it  would  not  be  if  all 
the  other  elements  v^^ere  combined  against  us.  For  the 
safety  of  our  institutions,  for  the  salvation  of  those  who 
have  come  to  us,  we  should  increase  our  efforts  to  evan- 
gelize these  foreigners. 

"Fifth,  Some  years  ago  the  Bible-school  work  was  suc- 
cessfully prosecuted  under  the  leadership  of  Rev.  W.  C. 
Walker,  and  during  the  presidency  of  Mr.  W.  S.  Bron- 
son.  I  still  hope  that  this  branch  of  our  work  will  not  be 
suspended  for  lack  of  unity  in  its  prosecution." 

TJie  Report  of  the  Board, 

presented  by  the  Secretary,  as  well  as  that  of  the  Field 
Secretary,  which  is  made  a  part  of  this  report,  was  as  full 
and  illuminating  as  these  always  have  been.  The  Field 
Secretarv's  report  bore  witness,  as  had  his  previous  ones, 
to  his  unflagging  industry,  his  thorough  acquaintance  with 
the  conditions,  his  broad  sympathy  with  the  workers,  and 
his  sound  business  judgment.  We  quote  his  final  words : 
"The  century  we  have  entered  upon  ought  to  be  the 
grandest  missionary  century  since  the  Age  of  the  Apostles. 
Indeed,  it  ought  to  surpass  that  age  since  the  number  of 
workers  has  increased  and  the  opportunity  for  labor 
greatly  widened." 

Address  of  Rev.  H.  M.   Thompson,  D.D. 

In  the  discussion  of  the  reports  many  able  addresses 
were  given  by  several  of  the  brethren,  among  whom  were 
Rev.  S.  G.  Hastings,  Rev.  F.  E.  Gates,  Rev.  Dr.  Herr 
and  missionaries  from  the  field.  The  address  of  Pastor 
Thompson,  because  of  its  terseness  in  its  way  of  putting 
things.  Is  specially  worthy  of  record  here.  We  give  this 
in  full,  Instead  of  excerpts  from  them  all.  It  may  stand 
as  a  good  representative  of  all  the  rest. 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION       189 

"We  are  now  brought  face  to  face  with  the  real  object 
of  our  gathering.  We  place  as  the  caption  to  our  pro- 
gram, 'The  Baptist  State  Convention.'  Were  it  not  for 
the  Convention  the  ministers  would  not  have  met  in  con- 
ference, the  young  people  would  not  have  discussed  their 
work,  the  women  would  not  have  assembled  to  take  a 
sweeping  view  of  world-wide  missions,  the  Education 
Societ)'  would  not  have  presented  its  urgent  appeals.  All 
these  are  auxiliary,  and  because  of  our  interest  in  these, 
and  to  economize  time  and  money,  we  group  them  all 
with  this  main  object,  our  State  Convention.  In  all  these 
varied  ranges  of  thought,  let  not  the  one  thing  most  need- 
ful be  forgot. 

"There  are  people  who,  having  made  their  deposit  In  a 
bank,  feel  such  confidence  in  the  official  management  that 
they  take  no  more  thought  of  their  money.  The  churches 
that  have  sent  you  as  their  delegates  are  not  of  this  sort. 
They  expect  you  to  look  after  their  investments  and 
inquire  into  methods  of  operation,  if  necessary  to  make 
kindly  suggestions  or  criticisms  as  to  the  work.  They 
look  to  you  to  bring  back  to  them  an  accurate  report  of 
things  said  and  done.  And  what  word  shall  you  take 
to  them? 

"Tell  them,  first,  that  aided  by  them  five  nationalities 
have  heard  in  their  own  tongue  the  wonderful  works  of 
God:  Americans,  Germans,  Swedes,  French  and  Italians. 
How  earnestly  we  have  desired  to  preach  the  Gospel  to 
foreign  peoples !  Through  the  work  of  the  Convention 
this  desire  is  gratified. 

"Tell  them  also  that  twenty-five  preachers  have  been 
assisted  in  carrying  on  the  work  of  Christ  in  needy  fields. 
Most  of  these  have  toiled  among  the  country  towns 
where  churches  would  be  closed  but  for  the  aid  rendered. 
Sometimes  the  query  is  sadly  made  concerning  this  or 
that  church,  'Must  it  not  be  closed?'  The  Convention 
answers,  'Not  yet,  not  yet.'  While  a  stream  of  life  is 
flowing  towards  our  cities,  the  head  waters  must  if  pos- 
sible be  purified  by  the  sacred  influences  of  Christianity. 


13 


190  HISTORY  OF  THE 

"Tell  them  also  that  through  their  assistance  one  hun- 
dred and  thirty  persons  in  these  mission  fields  have  put 
on  Christ  in  baptism,  having  passed  from  death  into  life. 
Should  any  one  say,  'Is  not  the  sum  of  four  thousand 
dollars  a  large  outlay  for  so  small  results?'  remind  them 
that  on  the  confines  of  Turkey  a  woman  in  Christ's  ser- 
vice is  in  peril.  It  is  said  on  all  sides,  'If  necessary,  the 
ransom  of  one  hundred  and  ten  thousand  dollars  must  be 
paid  for  her  deliverance.'  And  this  for  one  whose  soul 
is  in  God's  safe  keeping!  And  shall  we  say  that  an 
average  price  of  thirty  dollars  each  is  too  large  aid,  in 
securing  souls  from  the  eternal  consequences  of  sin?  I 
think  on  this  view  of  the  case  few  churches  will  complain, 
especially  in  the  light  of  their  own  small  offerings." 

Chapel  for  the  Italians  in  New  Haven. 

An  appeal  was  made  for  this  object,  and  the  imperative 
need  for  this  was  emphatically  set  forth.  Such  a  chapel 
would  cost  at  least  $5,000.  The  people  in  New  Haven 
would  provide  the  greater  part,  but  they  desired  the 
Convention  to  give  $1,000.  A  special  collection  was  at 
once  taken  amounting  to  $350.  It  will  be  seen  later  that 
the  New  Haven  Italian  mission  eventually  came  into 
possession  of  a  very  valuable  property,  which  it  is  now 
occupying. 

Concerning!  Various  Papers  and  Reports. 

The  reports  of  the  various  committees,  and  the  special 
papers  prepared  and  presented,  excelled  in  number  and 
ability  those  of  any  previous  meeting  of  the  Convention. 
Among  these  were :  Rev.  Henry  Clarke's  report  on  "The 
State  of  Religion,"  Rev.  Dr.  Hubbard's  on  "Bible-school 
Work,"  Deacon  Rush  P.  Chapman's  on  "Christian  Evan- 
gelization Necessary  to  Political  Safety,"  Rev.  P.  S. 
Evans'  on  "The  Success  of  State  Work  among  the 
Foreigners  an  Incentive  to  Greater  Effort,"  Rev.  R. 
Maplesden's  on  "The  Apathy  Regarding  State  Missions, 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION       191 

its  Cause  and  Cure."  AH  of  these  left  nothing  unsaid 
that  needed  to  be  said  to  arouse  enthusiasm  in  the  work 
of  the  Convention.  Every  Baptist  in  the  state  should 
have  read  and  pondered  them.  The  substance  of  these 
papers  had  been  uttered  before,  and  has  been  repeated 
many  times,  but  we  fear  their  influence  went  little  beyond 
the  four  walls  of  the  building  and  the  few  people  who 
heard  them,  in  most  cases  to  forget  them. 

Summary  of  Work  Done. 

Eighteen  American  churches  and  seven  foreign 
churches  had  been  aided  to  the  amount  of  $2,307.  Five 
missionaries,  four  Italian  and  one  French,  had  been  kept 
in  the  field,  at  a  cost  of  $2,365.  Ihe  aided  churches  had 
returned  in  benevolence  $1,160,  and  had  spent  on  their 
own  fields  $17,024.  Number  of  baptisms  from  all  these 
fields,  134.  Direct  contributions  to  the  treasury  of  the 
Convention,  $7,677. 

1902.  The  seventy-ninth  annual  meeting  was  held  with 
the  First  church,  FTartford,  Rev.  Harold  Patti- 
son,  pastor.  Mr.  Carnot  O.  Spencer  was  President,  Rev. 
P.  S.  Evans,  Secretary,  and  Mr.  W.  F.  Walker,  Treas- 
urer. 

Address  of  Welcome. 

After  speaking  felicitious  words  of  welcome  to  the 
church  and  the  city.  Pastor  Pattison  said  in  part:  "An 
assembly  like  this,  composed  of  delegates  from  Baptist 
churches,  has  no  authority  ecclesiastical  or  otherwise.  It 
has  only  influence.  Only  Influence !  In  the  marriage  ser- 
vice the  man  alone  is  given  authority;  the  wife  has  only 
influence.  Every  married  man  here  knows  how  that 
struggle  has  been  settled.  Authority  can  be  exerted  apart 
from  character  and  fitness;  not  so  with  influence.  Those 
who  have  possessed  the  greatest  authority  have  wielded 
their  influence  with   far  greater  effect.     We  can  forego 


192  HISTORY  OF  THE 

the  trappings  and  precedents  of  authority,  so  long  as  we 
hold  fast  that  without  which  all  authority  is  as  salt  which 
has  lost  its  savor,  namely,  influence.  We  welcome  you 
then  as  you  come  to  prove  your  right  to  be.  All  that 
would  impair  the  influence  of  our  gathering  is  not  wel- 
comed. If  we  come,  as  we  surely  do,  to  make  reports  that 
are  not  merely  traditional,  to  appoint  committees  that  are 
not  merely  ornamental,  to  listen  to  speakers  who  have 
for  us  some  message  of  life,  to  lay  plans  that  shall  with 
fidelity  and  sacrifice  be  brought  to  pass,  to  cement  friend- 
ships that  shall  not  be  broken,  then  welcome,  thrice  wel- 
come to  the  Connecticut  Baptist  Convention." 

The  Part  of  the  First  Church  in  the  Convention. 

President  Spencer,  himself  a  member  of  this  church, 
made  appropriate  reference  to  the  prominent  part  taken 
in  the  activities  of  the  Convention  by  the  members  of 
the  First  Baptist  church: 

"Of  the  fourteen  names  that  appear  in  the  Act  of  In- 
corporation, three.  Rev.  Elisha  Cushman,  Sr.,  and 
Deacons  Joseph  B.  Gilbert  and  Jeremiah  Brown  were 
those  of  members  here.  The  church  entertained  the  Con- 
vention at  its  first  meeting  in  1823.  Rev.  Dr.  Turnbull, 
for  twenty-five  years  pastor  here,  afterwards  served  as 
Secretary  and  Superintendent  of  Missions  for  five  years. 
Rev.  Elisha  Cushman,  Jr.,  served  as  Secretary  for  twenty- 
five  years,  and  as  editor  of  the  Christian  Secretary  did 
most  valuable  service.  Rev.  A.  J.  Sage,  D.D.,  a  former 
pastor,  also  W.  S.  Bronson,  were  of  our  number."  I  add 
to  these  the  honored  name  of  James  L.  Howard,  who  had 
been  for  six  years  President,  and  for  thirty-two  years  a 
Trustee. 

The  Report  of  the  Board. 

We  give  but  brief  extracts  from  the  reports  of  the 
Secretary  and  the  Field  Secretary: 

"The  first  meeting  of  the  Convention  was  held  with 
this  church  in  1823.    Seventeen  times  the  Convention  has 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION       193 

met  in  this  city,  though  not  always  with  this  church.  The 
earliest  available  minutes  of  the  Convention  are  for  the 
year  1830.  That  meeting  was  held  in  Mansfield.  The 
President  was  Rev.  Rufus  Babcock,  pastor  of  North 
Colebrook  church,  then  a  flourishing  church  but  now  hav- 
ing but  seven  names  on  its  roll.  There  were  at  that 
time  65  churches  in  the  state,  with  a  membership  of 
8,200.  Yet  694  baptisms  were  reported,  only  47  less 
than  reported  this  year  from  142  churches,  with  a  mem- 
bership of  25,000.  Did  the  same  proportion  hold  today, 
we  should  report  1,800  baptisms." 

At  the  April  meeting  of  the  Board  Rev.  C.  A.  Piddock 
tendered  his  resignation  as  Field  Secretary,  to  take  effect 
September  1.  The  Board  reluctantly  accepted  it  and  ap- 
pointed a  committee  of  seven,  one  from  each  association, 
with  President  Spencer  as  Chairman,  to  seek  a  successor. 
The  committee  made  its  final  report  at  a  special  meeting 
held  in  Bristol,  September  16.  The  members  were 
unanimous  in  recommending  Rev.  Frank  H.  Divine. 
After  full  discussion  and  the  reading  of  letters  from 
those  who  had  known  of  the  good  work  done  by  Brother 
Di\ine  the  Board  unanimously  approved  of  the  recom- 
mendation and  he  was  chosen  to  the  position  of  Field 
Secretary.  The  Secretary  notified  Mr.  Divine  of  his  ap- 
pointment and  received  his  acceptance. 

Report  of  the  Field  Secretary. 

This  the  last  report  which  Rev.  C.  A.  Piddock  pre- 
sented, like  the  seven  preceding  ones,  gives  ample  proof 
of  his  efficient  administration  of  his  office.  He  gives  a 
graphic  review  of  all  the  churches  and  missions  aided  by 
the  Convention,  which  he  had  personally  visited,  some 
of  them  several  times.  His  report  all  along  the  lines 
showed  an  encouraging  condition  of  things.  The  only 
dark  shadow  on  the  picture  was  the  serious  betrayal  of 
our  interests  in  Bridgeport  by  Mr.  C.  Ceretta,  the  mis- 
sionary to  the  Italians,  who  had  renounced  our  service 
and  connected  himself  with  another  denomination.     As  a 


194  HISTORY  OF  THE 

consequence  our  work  in  that  city  for  the  Itahans  had 
been  discontinued.  Mr.  Piddock's  report  closes  as  fol- 
lows: "I  came  to  Middletown  in  1880,  a  young  man 
thirty-one  years  of  age.  During  my  pastorate  there,  and 
the  eight  years  I  have  been  Superintendent  of  Missions, 
and  the  nearly  nine  years  I  was  editor  of  the  Christian 
Secretary,  I  have  endeavored  to  identify  myself  actively 
with  all  branches  of  Christian  effort  in  Connecticut.  Last 
April  I  requested  the  Board  to  release  me  and  to  appoint 
a  successor.  The  Board  has  chosen  Rev.  F.  H.  Divine. 
I  bespeak  for  him  the  cordial  support  and  sympathy  that 
have  been  so  generously  accorded  me  through  all  these 
years." 

Church  Building  and  Enlargement. 

In  his  report  the  Secretary  mentioned  several  items 
of  interest  in  church  building  and  enlargement,  and  re- 
moval of  debt.  The  chapel  in  Winsted  had  been  enlarged 
for  the  accommodation  of  its  increasing  Bible-school  and 
congregation.  The  First  church  in  New  London  had 
spent  a  generous  sum  in  beautifying  its  house  of  worship 
and  securing  better  facilities  for. its  growing  work.  The 
East  Washington  Avenue  church  in  Bridgeport,  hence- 
forth to  be  known  as  the  Second  Bridgeport,  had  sold 
its  edifice  and  was  engaged  in  building  a  new  and  com- 
modious house,  the  cost  of  which  was  nearly  all  provided 
for.  The  Second  Danbury  was  nearly,  if  not  altogether, 
relieved  from  the  burden  of  its  heavy  debt.  The  Hope 
church  of  New  Haven  had  been  reunited  to  the  old  his- 
toric First,  and  arrangements  were  being  made  to  build 
a  large  edifice  in  the  northern  part  of  the  city.  The 
Immanuel  church  of  New  Haven  was  completing  an  en- 
largement of  its  house  of  worship,  of  which  the  pastor, 
Rev.  A.  Clayton  Powell,  says:  "The  building  will  be  a 
monument  to  the  Baptists."  This  was  the  largest  church 
among  our  colored  brethren.  The  sums  of  money  spent 
in  all  these  enterprises,  many  times  In  excess  of  that  given 
in  direct  offerings  to  the  Convention,  indicated  a  gratify- 
ing advance  in  our  denominational  strength. 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION       195 
General  Discussion. 

On  the  various  reports  presented  many  interesting 
addreses  were  made  by  the  pastors  and  representative 
workers  from  the  different  mission  fields.  Rev.  G.  W. 
Nicholson  closed  a  strong  report  on  "The  State  of  Re- 
ligion in  the  Churches"  with  the  following  practical  sug- 
gestions :  "Your  committee  recommends  that  there  be 
greater  attention  paid, 

First,  to  the  children  and  youth.  We  deem  this  to  be 
vital  because  it  is  God's  method,  and  we  have  too  often 
failed  to  lay  hold  of  these  jewels  while  they  have  been 
within  our  grasp.  Our  Field  Secretary  should  urge  this 
as  he  goes  over  the  state,  and  establish  Bible-schools 
wherever  possible. 

"Second,  that  special  attention  be  given  to  the  after- 
meetings  on  Sunday  evenings  for  hauling  the  net.  No 
preacher  should  deliver  the  Lord's  message  without  the 
hope  of  saving  one  soul  at  least. 

"Third,  that  plans  be  laid  for  religious  work,  especial- 
ly along  evangelistic  lines,  under  the  direction  and  super- 
vision of  the  Field  Secretary,  assisted  by  neighboring 
pastors. 

"Fourth,  that  special  attention  be  given  to  the  legiti- 
mate and  pressing  demands  of  our  English-speaking 
churches,  whom  we  have  too  largely  neglected  the  last 
few  years  In  our  anxiety  over  our  foreign  brethren.  Not 
less  for  the  foreigners,  but  more  for  our  own. 

"Fifth,  that  our  foreign  brethren  establish  an  English- 
speaking  department  in  their  Bible-schools  for  the  benefit 
of  their  children  and  youth.  Only  thus  can  they  hope  to 
retain  these  youth  In  their  churches." 

The  New  S/iperinlendoil   of  Missions. 

After  being  Introduced  by  the  President,  Mr.  Divine 
made  an  address  defining  his  views  of  the  work  to  be 
done  and  his  own  relations  to  it.  "We  are  Baptists  of 
necessity,  or  we  are  of  no  special  value  to  the  denomi- 


196  HISTORY  OF  THE 

nation.  We  have  still  an  important  mission  in  the  world. 
The  State  Mission  is  needed  to  hold  what  is  already 
gained  and  to  go  forth  and  possess  the  whole  state  for 
Christ.  The  Secretary  of  the  Convention  is  not  to  be  a 
professional  collector  of  money;  he  is  to  show  that  it  is 
possible  to  make  an  investment  that  shall  produce  sixty 
to  one  hundred  fold  for  the  glory  of  God.  There  needs 
to  be  a  readjustment,  not  less  for  education  but  more 
for  the  souls  of  men.  We  need  a  vision  of  higher  things 
to  lead  us  to  nobler  service.  I  come  to  you  longing  to  do 
all  in  my  power  to  make  that  vision  real."  He  made  a 
very  favorable  impression  and  received  a  most  cordial 
welcome. 

A  Tribute  to  Hon.  James  W.  Manning. 

At  the  semi-annual  meeting  of  the  Board  a  committee 
of  three:  Rev.  G.  M.  Stone,  D.D.,  Rev.  C.  A.  Piddock 
and  Rev.  H.  M.  Wolf,  Jr.,  was  appointed  to  prepare  a 
tribute  to  the  memory  of  Mr.  Manning.  That  commit- 
tee reported  as  follows: 

"fFhereas,  This  Board  Is  deeply  conscious  of  the  great 
loss  It  has  sustained  In  the  death  of  one  of  its  most 
venerable  and  honored  members,  Deacon  James  W. 
Manning  of  Putnam,  therefore, 

"Resolved,  That  we  cause  to  be  placed  upon  the  re- 
cords of  the  Board  for  future  memorial  our  estimate  of 
his  character  and  usefulness.  Deacon  Manning  had 
earned  the  good  will  and  high  esteem  in  which  he  was 
held  by  his  own  church  and  community  and  beyond.  In  the 
large  sphere  of  the  civil  life  of  the  state,  by  a  long  career 
of  honest  and  upright  dealing  and  uniform  kindness  of 
spirit.  His  temperament  was  calm  and  judicial,  added 
to  which  were  mental  capacities  which  gave  him  such 
poise  and  judgment  as  to  render  him  one  of  the  wisest 
of  counsellors. 

"His  connection  with  this  Board  Is  of  long  standing. 
The  value  of  his  presence  and  advice  In  critical  periods 
through  which  It  has  passed  It  would  be  difficult  justly  to 
appraise. 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION      197 

"He  will  be  sndly  missed  at  our  annual  and  other 
gatherings.  Rarely  has  there  been  among  us  a  removal 
which  could  more  fitly  justify  the  psalmist's  prayer: 
'Help,  Lord,  for  the  godly  man  ceaseth,  for  the  faithful 
fail  from  among  the  children  of  men.' 

"A  recent  summary  of  his  life-work,  says:  'The  earth- 
ly life  of  this  good  man  ended  March  24,  a  few  days 
afrer  his  eightieth  birthday.  For  more  than  forty  years 
he  was  Town  Clerk  of  Putnam.  He  several  times  repre- 
sented that  town  in  the  Legislature,  and  for  one  term 
was  Starte  Comptroller.  The  universal  respect  in  which 
he  was  held  in  his  own  town  was  shown  by  the  closing  of 
all  stores,  including  saloons,  during  the  funeral  exercises 
in  his  home.  Memorial  services  were  subsequently  held 
in  the  Baptist  church,  in  which  the  deceased  was  the 
senior  deacon,  and  numerous  bodies  of  which  he  was  a 
member  passed  resolutions  of  respect  for  his  memory.' 

"The  Convention  Board  extends  to  the  bereaved 
family  its  sympathy  in  the  shadow  which  has  fallen  upon 
their  home,  and  requests  the  clerk  to  forward  to  them 
a  copy  of  this  mem.orial  record." 

Summary  of  the  Year's  Work. 

Five  missionaries  had  been  in  the  field,  one  French  and 
four  Italian.  Twenty-eight  churches  had  been  aided,  six 
foreign  and  twenty-two  English-speaking,  all  at  an 
expense  of  $3,732.  The  baptisms  from  these  fields  were 
seventy-five.  The  Treasurer  had  received  $5,802,  and 
reported  a  debt  of  $1,217. 

1903.  The  eightieth  annual  meeting  was  held  with  the 
Grand  Avenue  church.  New  Haven,  October  20 
and  21.  Mr.  Carnot  O.  Spencer  was  reelected  President 
and  William  F.  Walker,  Treasurer.  At  the  January 
meeting  of  the  Board  Rev.  P.  S.  Evans,  who  for  sixteen 
years  had  filled  the  office  of  Secretary,  asked  to  be 
relieved  from  his  duties.  He  thought,  and  believed  the 
Board  thought  with  him,  that  the  best  interests  of  the 


198  HISTORY  OF  THE 

Convention  required  that  the  office  of  Secretary  should 
be  united  with  that  of  Superintendent  of  Missions.  The 
Board  acquiescing  in  this  view  appointed  Rev.  F.  H. 
Divine  to  the  office  until  the  meeting  of  the  Convention. 
At  this  meeting  Rev.  F.  H.  Divine  was  elected  Secretary. 

Words  of  Welcome. 

In  his  welcoming  address  the  pastor  of  the  church, 
Rev.  E.  W.  Stone,  said  in  part:  "We  welcome  you  not- 
withstanding the  fact  that  we  were  not  rash  enough  to 
invite  you,  and  have  been  not  a  little  frightened  at  the 
thought  of  your  coming.  Had  we  not  received  orders 
from  the  powers  that  be,  and  been  given  generous 
promise  of  aid  by  our  brethren  of  sister  churches  in  this 
city,  which  promise  has  been  royally  kept,  we  could  not 
have  undertaken  to  entertain  you.  .  .  .  We  have 
abundant  reason  to  esteem  you  highly  in  love.  Born  in 
1871,  in  a  little  hall  not  far  from  here,  the  Grand  Avenue 
church  was  a  feeble  child,  and  the  trials  of  its  early  days 
threatened  its  very  existence.  But  the  Lord,  through  the 
Convention,  said  'Let  the  child  live;'  and  it  has  lived,  and 
is  going  to  live." 

Address  of  President  Spencer. 

After  fittingly  responciing  to  the  pastor's  welcome,  Mr. 
Spencer  urged  a  change  of  the  corporate  name  of  the 
Con>^ention  to  one  which  would  more  clearly  denote  the 
object  of  its  existence.  "The  mere  name,  Convention,  is 
not  expressive  of  its  character.  It  is  true  that  the  consti- 
tution sets  it  forth,  but  the  name  is  ambiguous  and  mis- 
leading, and  does  not  appeal  to  the  average  person.  Our 
brethren  in  other  states  have  recognized  this  and,  as  in 
the  case  of  the  New  York  Convention,  have  changed  the 
name  to  the  'State  Missionary  Society.'  Why  not  at  least 
insert  the  word  'missionary,'  and  style  ourselves  'The 
Connecticut  Baptist  Missionary  Convention?'  " 

After  a  full  presentation  of  the  needs  of  the  Conven- 
tion the  President  bore  this  testimony  to  the 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION       199 

Faithful  JFork  of  the  Neiv  Superintendent. 

"He  entered  upon  his  duties  one  year  ago  under  dif- 
ficulties which  a  man  of  less  faith  and  energy  would  have 
found  it  hard  to  surmount.  He  has  labored  hopefully 
and  courageously.  Some  of  the  fruits  of  his  labors  have 
been  been  manifested  in  the  toning  up  and  strengthening 
of  the  smaller  churches,  in  the  straightening  out  of  the 
entanglements  in  the  missions,  in  the  increased  interest  of 
the  membership  of  the  churches  in  the  work  of  the  Con- 
vention, in  the  raising  by  subscription  of  over  $2,000  to 
pay  the  debt,  and  in  the  good  results  from  his  faithful 
preaching  of  the  word." 

Report  of  the  Board. 

This  was  read  by  Rev.  F.  H.  Divine.  It  contained  a 
fraternal  and  appreciative  reference  to  the  sixteen  years' 
service  of  Rev.  P.  S.  Evans  as  Secretary,  including  eight 
years  as  Superintendent  of  Missions.  There  was  also  a 
series  of  resolutions,  adopted  by  the  Executive  Committee 
at  its  June  meeting,  complimentary  to  the  retiring  Secre- 
tary. 

The  Superintendent  had  spent  eight  weeks  in  Evangel- 
istic work  in  Willimantic,  Torrington,  Stafford  and  First 
Waterford.  "These  efforts  have  been  interrupted  by 
necessary  absence  on  Sundays  and  by  other  matters 
requiring  immediate  attention.  Though  some  have  been 
baptized  as  the  result  of  these  labors,  it  has  been  fully 
demonstrated  that  it  is  physically  impossible  for  a  man  to 
be  Superintendent  of  Missions  and  do  useful  evangelistic 
work  at  the  same  time." 

Canton  Church  Redivivus. 

The  most  encouraging  report  was  from  the  Canton 
church.  "Until  last  March  this,  the  only  church  in  the 
community,  had  an  enrollment  of  five,  only  one  of  whom 
could  attend  church.  In  March  the  Board  sent  Rev.  C. 
H.  Peckham  to  the  help  of  Pastor  Higgins,  with  the  most 
delightful  results.     The  church  now  has  thirty-one  active 


200  HISTORY  OF  THE 

members.     The  sum  of  three  hundred  dollars  has  been 
spent  in  needed  improvements." 

Foreign-speaking  Churches. 

"The  German  church  in  Waterbury  did  not  build  in  the 
best  neighborhood  for  its  work.  It  has  sold  its  house  of 
worship  and  purposes  building  elsewhere." 

"The  French  mission  in  Putnam  and  Danielson  is  still 
under  the  care  of  Brother  Tetrault.  We  wish  to  declare 
our  unfailing  confidence  in  these  brethren's  devotion  and 
piety.  All  work  undertaken  among  the  Romanists  is 
difficult.  It  -needs  long  patience  and  heaven-directed 
wisdom.  Inflammatory  addresses  and  tracts  arouse  hatred 
and  cut  off  opportunity." 

''Hartford  is  justly  proud  of  its  Italian  mission. 
Brother  A.  Roca  was  ordained  in  May.  He  is  an  edu- 
cated man,  a  true  man.  The  Hartford  Baptist  Union 
supports  this  mission.  In  New  Haven,  under  A.  di  Dom- 
enica,  a  fine  body  of  young  men  is  being  gathered  into 
the  kingdom,  a  Bible-school  established,  and  a  campaign 
started  for  a  building  fund.  In  Stamford,  where  the  work 
for  the  Italians  first  began,  we  have  had  a  painful  ex- 
perience with  the  missionary,  Pasqual  De  Carlo,  who  for 
several  years  had  been  so  trusted  and  honored.  Dis- 
missed for  cause  from  the  service  of  the  Convention,  he 
accepted  service  under  the  Congregational  State  Board, 
induced  a  portion  of  his  church  to  join  him,  and  is  en- 
deavoring to  get  possession  of  the  property  they  occupy. 
The  Board  has  sent  Rev.  V.  di  Domenica  to  occupy  the 
field.  The  little  band  that  remained  faithful  are  wor- 
shiping in  a  hall  and  two  have  since  been  baptized."* 

Evangelism. 

Through  the  courtesy  of  the  brethren  the  evening  ses- 
sion was  held  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  The 
session  was  devoted  to  a  discussion  on  evangelistic  work. 

*  The  future  record  will  show  that  the  breach  has  been  healed.  The  church  prop- 
ert)'  hat  been  made  over  to  the  Convention;  and  the  Italian  mission  in  Stamford  is  again 
prosperous. 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION      201 

In  his  report  the  Secretary  had  made  an  earnest  plea 
for  this  work  and  the  means  to  carry  it  on.  Rev.  R.  A. 
Ashworth  of  Meriden  presented  a  very  suggestive  and 
able  paper,  ending  with  six  vital  resolutions  looking  to 
the  carrying  out  of  what  was  shown  to  be  the  earnest 
desire  and  prayer  of  all  the  brethren.  It  was  such  a 
paper  as  should  have  been  freely  distributed  through  all 
the  churches.  Rev.  A.  W.  Bourne,  D.D.,  of  Glovers- 
ville,  N.  Y.,  deepened  still  further  the  impression  made 
by  his  practical  and  fervent  address  on  "The  Evangelism 
we  Need,  and  how  to  Secure  it." 

All  this  shortly  bore  fruit  in  the  evangelistic  campaigns 
which  were  so  prominent  a  feature  in  the  labors  of 
Brother  Divine  and  his  able  assistants. 

The  report  on  Bible-school  work,  prepared  by  Rev. 
F.  G.  McKeever,  was  quite  outside  the  usual  conventional 
lines  and  very  effective.  The  report  of  the  Historical 
Committee,  presented  by  Rev.  T.  A.  T.  Hanna,  was  re- 
plete with  interest,  giving  much  information  concerning 
the  early  Baptist  history  of  the  state.  It  is  with  deep 
regret  that  we  omit  these  reports,  but  they  do  not  easily 
lend  themselves  to  condensation.  This  eightieth  annual 
meeting  of  the  Convention,  the  first  prepared  for  by  Mr. 
Divine,  was  remarkable  for  the  number,  variety  and 
ability  of  the  speeches  and  addresses,  and  for  the 
enthusiasm  awakened. 

1904.  The  eighty-first  annual  meeting  was  held  with  the 
Central  church,  Norwich,  Rev.  P.  C.  Wright, 
pastor.  The  offices  of  President,  Secretary  and  Treasurer 
remained  unchanged.  The  customary  words  of  welcome 
were  spoken  by  the  pastor  and  replied  to  by  the  Presi- 
dent. 

Address   of  the  President. 

"The  year  just  passed  has  been  a  prosperous  one  in 
our  work.  The  few  months  of  evangelistic  effort  have 
been  fruitful  in  results.    We  have  reason  to  be  profound- 


202  HISTORY  OF  THE 

ly  grateful,  and  to  take  courage  for  the  future.  Much 
more  might  have  been  accomplished  with  more  ample 
means  at  our  disposal.  Our  small  permanent  fund  is  not 
at  all  commensurate  with  our  needs.  The  table  which  I 
present  will  show  how  our  state  stands  in  comparison  with 
the  other  New  England  States. 


States 

Churches 

Membership 

Permanent  Kund 

Maine, 

246 

20,049 

$149,364 

Massachusetts, 

340 

77,288 

420,594 

New  Hampshire 

:,    88 

9,865 

117,268 

Rhode  Island, 

78 

14,246 

57,482 

Vermont, 

94 

8,324 

97,960 

Connecticut, 

145 

25,365 

11,900 

"The  first  four  of  these  states  received  large  bequests 
from  the  late  Daniel  Sharp  Ford  of  Boston,  which  have 
been  the  means  of  putting  new  life  into  their  work,  and 
large  results  have  followed.  With  a  permanent  fund  of 
$100,000  your  Board  could  plan  a  certain  amount  of 
work  each  year.  Depending  solely  upon  the  fluctuating 
contributions  of  the  churches,  the  management  is  often 
taxed  to  know  what  to  undertake.  .  .  The  evident 
blessing  of  God  during  the  past  year  encourages  us  to 
attempt  more  and  expect  more  in  the  future.  The  whole 
fruitage  of  these  labors  has  not  yet  been  gathered.  There 
were  142  baptisms  in  our  aided  churches  and  missions. 
Following  the  evangelistic  labors  of  your  missionary 
helpers  in  other  churches,  80  more  have  been  baptized, 
making  232,  more  than  one-quarter  of  all  that  have  been 
received  into  all  the  churches." 

Report  of  the  Board  of  Trustees. 

This  report,  though  none  too  strong  for  its  purpose, 
occupies  sixteen  pages  in  the  printed  minutes.  The  dif- 
ficulty of  selecting  the  most  significant  portions  is  ap- 
parent. "Early  in  January  we  were  called  to  part  with 
one   of  the   most  honored   and  useful  members   of   the 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONV^ENTION      203 

Board,  who  had  served  long  and  faithfully  as  President 
and  Trustee  of  this  body;  and  In  the  wider  fields  of  de- 
nominational enterprise  and  the  offices  of  the  state,  he  had 
made  himself  a  power  for  all  that  makes  for  human  bet- 
terment— the  Honorable  Francis  Wayland,  LL.D.  At 
the  January  meeting  of  the  Executive  Committee  the  fol- 
lowing minute  was  adopted: 

"Tribute  to  the  Hon.  Francis  Ji'^ayland,  LL.D. 

"Our  brother  and  fellow-worker  In  the  Lord  having  in 
God's  grace  finished  his  earthly  career  on  the  ninth  day 
of  January,  1904,  we,  the  Executive  Committee  of  the 
Connecticut  Baptist  Convention,  desire  to  place  on  our 
records  a  testimonial  of  the  high  esteem  in  which  we  held 
our  brother,  and  of  our  appreciation  of  the  service  he 
rendered  to  the  cause  of  Christ  by  his  connection  with  the 
Convention. 

"Recognizing,  as  we  do,  the  native  ability  which  was  in- 
herited, the  culture  which  was  acquired,  the  personal 
qualifications  which  led  to  his  recognition  as  a  wise  coun- 
sellor in  widely  varying  fields  of  operation,  we  rejoice 
that  In  mid-life  Doctor  Wayland  submitted  himself  to 
the  authority  of  the  Son  of  God,  his  strong  nature  bowing 
at  the  feet  of  our  Lord  in  that  spirit  of  a  child,  without 
which  a  man  cannot  enter  the  Kingdom  of  God. 

"Since  February  26,  1882,  the  day  when  Dr.  Wayland 
confessed  in  baptism  his  faith  in  our  risen  Lord,  his  heart 
has  been  In  the  cause  of  Christ.  He  was  faithful  to  the 
Interests  of  the  local  church.  He  responded  to  the  Con- 
vention's need  of  his  counsel.  He  was  elected  a  member 
of  the  Board  of  Trustees  in  1883,  and  continued  in  that 
capacity  until  his  death.  He  was  President  of  the  Con- 
vention from  1886  to  1896.  He  was  a  moving  spirit 
in  the  organization  of  the  Baptist  Social  Union,  and 
served  as  Its  President. 

"Dr.  Wayland's  interest  in  the  work  of  the  Convention 
was  unfailing,  even  when  a  multiplicity  of  other  Interests, 
and  increase  of  years,  and  Ill-health  prevented  personal 


204  HISTORY  OF  THE 

attendance  upon  the  meetings.  We  shall  miss  him,  but  we 
thank  God  for  him.     A  strong  leader  of  men  has  fallen. 

"These  minutes  shall  be  spread  upon  the  records  of  the 
Board,  and  a  copy  be  sent  to  Mrs.  Wayland." 

This  was  signed  by  H.  M.  Thompson  and  G.  W. 
Nicholson,  Committee. 

The  report  of  the  Board  contained  a  general  review  of 
all  the  fields,  which  was  full  of  encouragement,  especially 
as  regarded  the  Swedish  and  Italian  work. 

The  New  Britain  Swedes. 

Regarding  this  interest  the  Secretary  makes  this  not- 
able record:  "Rev.  J.  E.  Klingberg  is  leading  this  people 
in  a  conquering  fashion.  They  have  paid  $1,000  on 
their  debt.  Out  of  the  generosity  and  tenderheartedness 
of  the  pastor  and  his  wife,  early  in  the  year  they  took  into 
their  home  two  homeless  children.  This  seems  to  be 
God's  way  of  laying  the  foundation  for  a  noble  philan- 
thropic work.  From  that  beginning  has  come  the 
establishment  of  a  children's  home.  A  house  has  been 
rented,  help  employed,  and  the  funds  provided,  until  the 
needs  of  a  large  number  of  children  are  supplied.  This 
is  one  of  New  Britain's  institutions.  Pastor  Klingberg's 
eyes  and  heart  were  opened  to  see  and  feel  the  need; 
prayer  and  faith  have  furnished  the  mans." 

Willing  Helpers. 

The  Bible-schools  had  been  cooperating  in  the  sup- 
port of  a  Bible-school  worker.  The  young  people's 
societies  of  the  state  had  taken  upon  themselves  to  help 
in  the  support  of  the  work  among  the  foreigners,  choos- 
ing some  special  field  at  the  suggestion  of  the  Superinten- 
dent. The  report  made  an  earnest  plea  for  the  Women's 
Missionary  Societies  to  add  to  their  other  work  a  care  for 
the  missionary  interests  of  the  state. 

Ways  and  Means. 

Notwithstanding  the  enthusiasm  that  prevailed  at  the 
last  meeting  of  the  Convention,  there  had  been  a  falling 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION      205 

off  in  the  receipts.  On  the  other  hand  there  had  been 
a  notable  addition  to  the  permanent  fund.  There  had 
been  received  a  legacy  of  $10,000  from  Levi  A,  Hall  of 
Mansfield,  a  trust  fund  of  $5,000  from  A.  E.  and  H.  T. 
Westcott  of  Danielson  for  the  benefit  of  the  East  Kill- 
ingly  church,  an  annunity  from  the  same  parties  of 
$5,000  for  the  general  purposes  of  the  Convention,  and 
an  annuity  from  Miss  Helen  Beebe  of  $1,000. 

A  very  pleasant  surprise  had  come  to  the  President  in 
the  receipt  of  an  anonymous  letter  containing  a  New 
York  draft  for  $250  for  the  use  of  the  Convention.  We 
find  in  the  report  a  warm  expression  of  gratitude  to  the 
Home  Mission  Society,  which  in  collaboration  with  the 
Convention  in  its  work  for  the  foreigners  had  expended 
within  the  state  almost  as  much  as  it  had  received  from 
all  the  churches  of  the  state. 

«      The  General  Doings  of  the  Connjention. 

In  the  discussion  on  the  report  of  the  Board,  when  it 
was  found  that  the  current  expenses  exceeded  the  receipts 
by  $1,800,  Rev.  G.  W.  Nicholson  made  an  earnest  plea 
for  the  raising  of  the  deficit,  and  the  sum  of  $1,997  was 
paid  in  or  pledged,  more  than  enough  to  provide  for  t!ie 
debt. 

JVork  for  the  Bible-schools. 

The  entire  evening  session  of  Tuesday  was  taken  up  in 
the  discussion  of  this  fruitful  theme.  Rev.  W.  F.  Row- 
ley of  Middletown  presented  an  exhaustive  report,  oc- 
cupying seven  pages  in  the  m.inutes,  on  the  necessity  and 
fruitfulness  of  work  expended  in  this  enterprise.  The 
main  thesis  of  the  paper  was  thus  stated  by  the  author: 
"To  put  it  in  a  word,  the  mission  of  the  Bible-school  is 
to  gather  all,  to  save  all,  and  to  instruct  all."  This  thesis 
was  enforced  and  illustrated  from  the  Scriptures  and 
from  the  experience  of  the  church.  Rev.  Henry  Clarke 
followed  in  an  address  on  the  special  topic,  "The  Search 


14 


206  HISTORY  OF  THE 

for  the  Child,"  and  Rev.  T.  Edwin  Brown,  D.D.,  dis- 
cussed the  theme,  "Teaching  Christian  Morals  in  the 
Bible-school." 

Report  on  Evangelistic  Work. 

This  report  was  given  by  Rev.  R.  A.  Ashworth,  It 
presented  a  phase  of  the  subject  that  is  not  often  con- 
sidered in  addresses  on  evangelism.  "Out  of  the  145 
churches  in  the  state  59  have  held  a  series  of  special  meet- 
ings, besides  their  regular  meetings.  All  of  these  services, 
we  may  safely  say,  were  perv^aded  more  or  less  with 
evangelistic  endeavor  and  fervor.  There  has  been  an 
extensive  exchange  of  pastoral  service,  and  professional 
evangelists  have  done  a  good  work  among  our  churches. 
But  we  hesitate  lest  the  impression  be  conveyed  that 
evangelism  is  synonymous  with  this  form  of  Christian 
effort.  It  is  quite  possible  that  some  churches  that,have 
held  no  such  meetings  this  year  have  been  far  more 
distinguished  for  the  possession  of  the  evangelistic  im- 
pulse than  some  others  that  have  been  most  active  in  this 
direction. 

"Revival  meetings,  so-called,  may  become  a  bane  and 
not  a  blessing  to  the  church  which  holds  them.  Evangel- 
ism is  not  a  method  but  a  spirit.  When  it  is  not  the 
natural  expression  of  a  spiritual  life  in  the  church,  that 
can  win  the  respect  of  a  community,  such  a  revival  meet- 
ing would  be  a  hindrance  rather  than  a  help  to  the  exten- 
sion of  the  Kingdom.  Keep  the  church  fires  going  all 
the  time  at  an  equable  temperature,  sufficient  to  warm, 
though  not  scorch.  This  is  better  than  to  draw  or  bank 
the  fires  for  nine  months  of  the  year,  and  then  to  run 
them  under  forced  draft  for  the  remainder.  Evangelism 
is  the  supreme  business  of  the  church  for  fifty-two  weeks 
in  the  year.  Let  the  church  remember  that  it  cannot  stand 
at  a  distance  and  save  the  world  through  a  speaking  trum- 
pet. Pulpit  preaching  is  not  all.  It  is  hand-to-hand,  face-to- 
face  methods  that  prevail.  When  the  Romans  shortened 
their  swords  they  conquered  the  world.     Then  each  man 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION      207 

picked  his  man,  and  war  became  duelling  on  a  vast  scale. 
Only  when  every  Christian  becomes  an  evangelist  will  the 
world  be  converted." 

1905.  The  annual  meeting  this  year  was  held  with  the 
Main  Street  church,  Meriden,  Rev.  A.  E.  Harris, 
pastor.  There  was  no  change  made  in  the  three  principal 
officers.  The  minutes  alone  of  this  meeting  of  the  Con- 
vention occupy  fifty-five  pages. 

Address  of  the  President. 

None  of  the  presidents  of  the  Convention  ever  took, 
more  pains  in  preparing  their  opening  addresses  than 
did  Mr.  Spencer.  In  saying  this  we  understate  the  truth. 
Only  the  narrow  limits  of  this  volume  prevent  our  giving 
this  address  in  its  entirety. 

"The  most  perplexing  question  that  the  Board  has  to 
deal  with  is  that  of  the  finances.  The  contributions  from 
the  churches  are  inadequate  to  provide  for  our  necessities. 
I  have  been  interested  in  comparing  the  amount  of  contri- 
butions by  the  churches  within  the  several  associations, 
with  the  amount  expended  in  the  same  territory.  The 
figures  are  taken  from  the  Annual  of  1904.  It  is  found 
that  the  cost  of  work  exceeds  the  contributions  in  two  of 
the  associations:  in  the  Ashford,  by  $253,  and  in  the  New 
Haven,  by  $1,187.  The  contributions  exceed  the  cost  in 
four  associations:  in  the  Fairfield,  by  $80,  in  the  Hart- 
ford, by  $225,  in  the  New  London,  by  $129,  and  in  the 
Stonington  Union,  by  $417.  In  the  six  associations  the 
cost  exceeds  the  contributions  by  $629.  In  this  cost  no 
account  is  taken  of  salaries  paid  to  the  Superintendent  and 
the  general  workers,  nor  of  the  necessary  incidental 
expenses.  Also  in  the  contributions  only  the  sums  sent 
directly  from  the  churches  are  reckoned. 

In  the  last  three  years  the  following  gains  have  been 
made:  $12,050  to  the  Permanent  Fund,  $10,000  to  the 
Trust  Funds,  and  $7,000  to  the  Annuity  Funds,  making 
$29,050  in  all.     David  G.  Porter  of  Waterbury,  a  mem- 


208  HISTORY  OF  THE 

ber  of  the  First  church  in  that  place,  after  leaving  the 
larger  part  of  his  estate  to  found  a  training-school  in 
that  city,  has  bequeathed  $5,000  each  to  the  First  and 
Second  Baptist  churches  in  Waterbury,  and  $1,000  each 
to  the  Swedish  and  the  Italian  interests  in  the  same  city." 

Report  of  the  Board. 

The  condition  of  the  German  and  French  missions  was 
reported  as  favorable.     Much  attention  was  given  to 

Work  Among  the  Swedes. 

Of  this  work  the  Secretary  writes:  "Activity,  devotion 
and  progress  are  ever  the  order  with  our  Swedish  breth- 
ren. In  devotion  to  their  religious  profession,  loyalty 
to  denominational  convictions,  aggressiveness,  thrift  and 
sacrifice  for  Christ,  they  give  evidence  of  the  rugged  life 
of  the  fatherland  and  a  beautiful  example  to  most  modern 
Christians.  The  Meriden  church  is  delighted  with  its 
efforts  at  self-support.  The  New  Haven  church  is  united 
and  progressive  after  its  experience  of  the  last  four  years. 
The  new  Swedish  church  in  Springfield,  Massachusetts, 
is  the  result  of  mission  work  done  by  Rev.  John  Friborg 
of  Hartford.  Of  the  New  Britain  church  we  may  say 
every  department  is  prospering.  The  wonderful  doings 
of  God  in  answer  to  the  pastor's  prayers  and  plans,  in 
the  Children's  Home  that  he  is  carrying  on,  are  as  strange 
as  fancy,  as  soul-stirring  as  deepest  pathos,  as  real  as 
God.  The  church  in  Waterbury  has  been  organized 
within  the  year,  with  a  membership  of  fifty-seven.  In 
July  it  dedicated  its  house  of  worship,  or  rather  the 
ground  floor  of  it,  which  alone  is  finished.  The  story  of 
this  people's  achievement  is  inspiring." 

Work  Among  the  Italians. 

"The  year  has  been  with  them  one  of  steady  advance, 
under  the  abundant  labors  of  five  loyal  and  devoted  men. 
Rev.  A.   Roca   has  pushed  the  work  in  Hartford  with 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION      209 

wisdom  and  vigor.  Rev.  A.  di  Domenica  has  had  a  year 
of  excellent  progress  in  New  Haven,  i'his  church  is  just 
coming  into  possession  of  a  property  in  New  Haven 
which  has  been  secured  on  very  easy  terms  and  which  will 
be  admirably  adapted  to  its  needs.  In  Stamford,  Rev. 
V.  di  Domenica,  pastor,  the  record  for  the  year  seems 
like  a  dream.  The  few  that  remained  faithful  at  the 
time  of  the  defection  of  Da  Carlo  are  again  reinstated  in 
their  pleasant  church  home,  and  this  by  no  process  of  law, 
but  the  part  of  the  old  church  that  had  been  occupying  it 
has  of  its  own  accord  come  back  to  the  Baptist  fold." 

The  evangelistic  work  had  been  prosecuted  with  suc- 
cess. The  Superintendent,  with  Rev.  A.  E.  Baker  and 
Mr.  Warren  O.  Barnes  with  his  colporteur  wagon,  had 
constituted  all  the  available  force  for  this  work.  Yet  a 
large  amount  of  labor  had  been  performed  in  many 
fields.  Some  of  the  visible  results  were  fifty-seven  bap- 
tisms from  the  work  of  the  Superintendent,  and  one  hun- 
dred and  forty-nine  from  the  efforts  of  Brother  Baker. 

Suggestion  to  Bond  the   Treasurer. 

The  report  closed  with  several  valuable  suggestions. 
One  of  these,  in  view  of  the  great  impending  disaster,  the 
delalcation  of  the  Treasurer,  was  of  special  significance, 
disclosing  as  it  did  an  apprehension,  which  at  least  the 
Secretary  felt,  that  the  treasury  had  not  been  sufficiently 
safeguarded.  The  suggestion  was  as  follows:  "The 
work  of  the  Treasurer  requires  much  time,  labor,  wisdom 
and  responsibility,  all  of  which  is  being  asked  of,  and 
cheerfully  rendered  by,  a  very  busy  man.  A  hearty  vote 
of  thanks  is  due  our  Treasurer.  If  it  is  not  yet  time,  may 
the  time  soon  come  when  the  office  of  Treasurer  shall 
be  a  bonded  office,  with  compensation  enough  to  pay  all 
costs  and  provide  necessary  clerical  service."  Had  the 
Board  of  Trustees  shared  fully  with  the  Secretary  in  the 
misgivings  and  reluctant  fears,  which  the  writer  knows 
Mr.  Divine  had  felt  for  some  time,  they  would  have 
determined  that  the  time  for  such  action  had  already  fully 


210  HISTORY  OF  THE 

come.  Possibly  the  disaster,  then  eighteen  months  in 
the  future,  might  either  have  been  wholly  averted  or 
greatly  mitigated. 

Report  on  the  State  of  Religion. 

This  report,  made  by  Rev.  W.  G.  Thomas  of  Essex, 
disclosed  that  the  number  of  baptisms  was  in  excess  of 
that  of  any  other  year  for  four  years,  totalling  1,137. 
This  increase  was  mostly  traceable  to  the  labors  of  the 
Secretary  and  the  State  Evangelist.  While  it  was  not  the 
same  churches  that  reported  baptisms  each  year,  yet  the 
percentage  of  churches  thus  reporting  had  been  almost 
precisely  the  same  for  the  last  five  years.  The  report 
was  able,  stimulating,  optimistic  and  abounding  in  terse 
and  vigorous  sentences.  "A  dry  baptistry  and  a  lessened 
membership  is  a  lot  no  servant  of  God  craves."  ''No 
note  of  censure  can  come  from  this  committee  upon  those 
who  have  toiled  all  night  and  caught  nothing."  "Let 
every  pulpit  be  pitched  in  the  shadow  of  the  cross,  and 
every  pew  be  facing  the  crucified  Christ."  "Let  there  be 
no  discouragement,  knowing  that  God  has  never  promised 
to  use  a  discouraged  man,  much  less  a  discouraged 
church." 

Bible-school  Interests. 

The  evening  of  Tuesday  was  given  up  to  the  interests 
of  the  Bible-schools.  Rev.  Dr.  Johnstone  of  New  York 
gave  an  address,  and  he  was  followed  by  Rev.  Dr.  Sey- 
mour, of  the  Publication  Society,  on  the  "Need  of  Ag- 
gressive Bible-school  Activity."  Then  Mr.  Giles  Potter 
presented  the  report  of  the  committee  on  Bible-school 
work.  This  report  was  unusually  thorough  and  business- 
like, owing  to  the  fact  that  it  had  been  entrusted  to  a  man 
who  had  been  employed  by  the  state  for  many  years  in 
examining  and  reporting  on  the  public  schools.  A  series  of 
questions  addressed  to  the  different  departments  of  the 
schools,  superintendents,  teachers  and  scholars,  had  been 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION      211 

sent  to  thirty  schools.  The  reason  given  by  scholars  for 
liking  to  attend  the  schools  were  such  as  these:  "Duty," 
''Because  I  enjoy  learning  the  lessons,"  "It  helps  me 
through  the  week,"  "To  study  God's  word,"  "Because  of 
habit,"  "I  was  brought  up  to  it."  The  report  adds:  "It  is 
noticeable  that  not  one  gives  as  a  reason  that  they  have 
social  times,  picnics  and  other  amusements.  These  things 
are  not  objectionable,  but  they  should  never  be  allowed 
to  interfere  with  the  proper  work  of  the  school,  or  to 
form  its  chief  attraction.  A  manufacturer  of  an  inferior 
grade  of  cloth,  on  being  asked  if  the  stock  used  was  pure 
wool  replied,  'We  have  to  card  in  some  cotton  to  hold  the 
wool  together.  The  fibre  of  our  wool  is  short.'  If  the 
instruction  of  the  Bible-school  is  shoddy,  amusements  and 
many  things  foreign  to  the  purpose  of  the  school  may 
seem  to  be  necessary  to  hold  the  school  together." 

Home  and  Foreign  Missions. 

This  report  was  prepared  by  Rev.  Harold  Pattison. 
It  was  based  on  replies  sent  by  pastors  to  a  set  of  ques- 
tions. Of  the  120  pastors  written  to  only  75  took  the 
trouble  to  reply.  Yet  these  replies  are  sufficiently  repre- 
sentative. 

1.  The  first  question  was,  "In  your  church  to  which 
is  most  attention  given.  Home,  or  Foreign  Missions?" 
The  answers  indicated  that  equal  attention  was  given  to 
both.  The  report  endorsed  this  attitude,  but  suggested 
that,  as  the  Foreign  field  is  more  remote  and  less  under- 
stood it  should  be  given  the  greater  emphasis. 

2.  The  second  question  was,  "What  is  your  method 
of  taking  offerings,  and  what  improvement  can  you  sug- 
gest?" Every  method  seemed  to  be  in  use,  but  the 
uniform  testimony  of  the  pastors  was  that  the  weekly 
offering  is  the  best.  The  writer  of  the  report  agreed 
with  this  opinion,  but  urged  the  importance  of  frequent 
appeals  from  the  pulpit,  pastoral  letters,  abundant  circu- 
lation of  missionary  intelligence  and  study  classes. 

3.  "Is  the  amount  of  these  offerings  increasing,  or 
diminishing?"  was  the  third  question.     While  many  re- 


212  HISTORY  OF  THE 

ported  a  decrease  the  majority  reported  increase  both  of 
giving  and  of  interest.  In  nearly  all  cases,  however,  the 
giving  was  by  a  minority  of  the  members. 

4.  "Do  you  have  a  monthly  or  other  regular  mission- 
ary meeting  for  the  church?"  In  all  the  state,  so  far  as 
heard  from,  only  thirteen  churches  had  a  monthly  mis- 
sionary meeting,  though  nearly  all  had  women's  or  young 
people's  missionary  meetings.  The  report  strongly  urged 
meetings  in  all  the  churches  for  the  whole  church. 

5.  "How  frequently  do  you  preach  on  these  sub- 
jects?" The  general  answers  were:  "Just  before  the 
offering  is  taken."  "As  the  spirit  moves  me."  "As  I 
feel  like  it."  Some  said,  "The  pastor  preaches  missionary 
sermons  twice  every  Sunday,  because  in  every  sermon 
he  makes  general  allusions."  The  writer  of  the  report 
suggested  that  the  word  properly  used  would  be  halluci- 
nation rather  than  allusion. 

6.  "Is  any  member  of  your  church  laboring  under  the 
auspices  of  either  the  Foreign  or  the  Home  Mission 
Society?"  Six  names  of  workers  on  the  Foreign  field 
were  given. 

7.  "Have  you  tried  having  your  own  representative 
on  the  field,  supporting  him  wholly  or  in  part?"  Only 
two  churches  were  reported  as  furnishing  the  entire  sup- 
port of  a  missionary,  but  a  few  others  had  a  part  interest 
in  some  one  missionary. 

8.  "Please  mention  what  in  your  experience  has  been 
found  valuable  in  arousing  and  maintaining  interest  in 
missions."  Some  of  the  answers  to  this  question  were 
flippant,  but  others  were  given  seriously,  making  very 
good  suggestions:  "Train  the  children."  "Keep  at  it; 
that  is  all."  "A  real  live  missionary  beats  everything  else 
with  us." 

Summary  of  Work. 

Seven  Italian  missionaries  had  been  under  employment 
this  year,  at  a  cost  to  the  Convention  of  $2,334.  The 
Home     Mission     Societv    had  contributed     in     addition 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION      213 

$2,214.  No  French  missionary  had  been  on  the  field 
this  year.  Four  Swedish  and  one  German  missionary 
had  been  in  the  service,  and  twenty-two  churches  had 
received  aid,  at  a  cost  in  all,  besides  the  Italian  work,  of 
$2,380.  The  Treasurer  reported  receipts  from  all 
sources,  besides  interest  and  loans,  $9,974.79;  from 
legacies,  annuities  and  trust  funds,  $17,043.57;  from 
interest,  $1,814.47;  in  all,  $28,832.83. 

1906.  The  eighty-third  annual  meeting  of  the  Conven- 
tion was  held  with  the  South  Norwalk  church, 
Rev.  H.  B.  Carpenter,  pastor.  After  cordial  words  of 
welcome  had  been  spoken  by  the  pastor.  President  Spencer 
said:  "This  is  the  first  time  the  Convention  has  met 
with  this  church,  "fhe  church  was  received  into  the  Con- 
vention in  1862.  The  hand  of  fellowship  was  extended 
to  the  pastor.  Rev.  W.  T.  Fagan,  by  Rev.  J.  P.  Brown, 
then  President.  This  veteran  in  the  ministry  is  still  living 
and  present  with  us  today.  From  a  membership  of 
seventy  you  have  nearly  reached  the  four  hundred  mark. 
I  am  pleased  to  note  that  during  the  last  year  you  have 
received  large  accessions,  and  have  enjoyed  the  labors 
of  one  of  the  Con^  ention  evangelists.  Thus  you  recog- 
nize the  agency  of  the  Convention  in  the  ingathering  of 
souls." 

President  Spencer's  JVords  to  the  Convention. 

As  Mr.  Spencer  positively  declined  a  reelection,  this 
was  the  last  of  the  able  addresses  that  were  a  distinguish- 
ing feature  during  his  incumbency  of  the  office  of  Presi- 
dent.    We  can  give  it  only  in  part: 

"The  Convention  meets  today  under  most  flattering 
auspices.  The  success  that  has  attended  the  labors  of  our 
workers  in  the  field  encourages  us  and  calls  for  gratitude 
to  God  for  his  signal  blessings.  Vv'^ith  additional  helpers 
for  our  evangelistic  and  mission  work,  we  may  look  for 
larger  results  in  the  year  to  come.  Our  Home  Mission 
Society,  recognizing  the  changed  conditions  in  our  East- 


214  HISTORY  OF  THE 

ern  States,  is  heartily  cooperating  with  us  in  our  work. 
The  churches  are  not  yet  sufficiently  awakened  to  their 
opportunities  and  responsibilities.  We  should  enter  into 
new  fields  in  the  larger  towns,  as  we  did  in  Winsted  and 
Torrington,  and  that  from  no  narrow  sectarian  motive 
but  for  the  building  up  of  the  Kingdom." 

Report  of  the  Board  of  Trustees. 

As  the  work  of  the  Board  has  increased  and  its  spheres 
of  activity  multiplied,  the  reports  have  lengthened.  Com- 
pelled to  cull  from  them  we  may  easily  run  the  risk  of 
omitting  the  best  parts.  This  report  began  with  an 
exceedingly  hopeful  note  of  joy  and  thanksgiving.  This 
jubilant  note  was  justified  by  the  great  enlargement  of  the 
work  and  resources  during  the  last  two  years.  So  little 
could  any  one  foresee  the  dire  disaster  that  was  so  soon 
to  follow. 

"Dear  Brethren:  Our  report  is  a  song  of  praise  to 
God.  The  year  has  been  abundant  in  labor,  but  God  has 
been  more  abundant  in  the  bestowment  of  blessing.  With 
a  strong  conviction  that  the  best  is  yet  to  be  had,  and  that 
God  is  waiting  to  give  us  'beyond  all  that  we  can  ask  or 
think,'  we  come  simply  to  report  progress,  and  to  ask  for 
further  instructions,  prayers  and  substantial  support." 

Tribute  to  Hon.  James  L.  Howard. 

"The  Connecticut  Baptist  Convention,  in  kindly  and 
grateful  memory  of  its  dearly  beloved  brother,  the  Hon- 
orable James  Leland  Howard,  who  passed  from  the 
earthly  life  to  the  heavenly  on  the  first  day  of  May,  1906, 
hereby  places  on  its  records  this  recognition  of  his  ser- 
vices and  character. 

"Brother  Howard's  official  service  to  the  Convention 
covered  about  thirty-nine  years.  He  was  elected  Trustee 
in  1867,  Vice-President  in  1870,  and  President  in  1871, 
to  which  office  he  was  reelected  annually  until  1877,  when 
he  declined  to  serve  longer  in  that  position.    He  continued 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION      215 

as  Trustee  and  as  a  member  of  the  Executive  Committee 
until  his  decease. 

"Brother  Howard's  executive  ability,  business  qualifica- 
tions, sound  judgment,  and  tact  made  him  a  valuable 
member  of  the  Board,  while  his  uniform  courtesy  and 
brotherly  love  won  for  him  the  highest  esteem  of  all,  and 
his  intense  zeal  and  love  for  the  cause  of  Christ,  mani- 
fested in  generous  giving  and  loving  service,  inspired  all. 

"Every  department  of  Convention  work,  the  feeble 
churches,  the  Bible-schools,  evangelistic  work,  missions  to 
the  foreign-born,  and  chapel-building,  all  received  his 
sympathy  and  aid.  His  preeminent  interest,  wise  fore- 
sight, and  zealous  service  were  most  conspicuous  in  the 
establishment  of  new  missions  and  the  organization  of 
new  churches.  Many  of  these  are  silent  monuments  of 
his  generalship  and  service.  In  the  matters  of  the  King- 
dom and  the  work  of  the  Baptist  denomination,  in  which 
he  so  fully  believed  and  to  which  he  was  so  loyal  in  all 
his  liberality.  Brother  Howard  was  an  expansionist. 

"No  one  can  measure  the  weight  of  his  influence  upon 
the  Convention  and  the  work  of  the  denomination  in  Con- 
necticut, during  these  long  years  of  service.  His  loyalty 
to  his  Master  was  unquestioned,  and  was  none  the  less 
because  of  his  zeal  for  and  devotion  to  the  Baptist  de- 
nomination. 

"His  financial  support  of  the  Convention  was  constant 
and  liberal,  always  welcoming  and  sharing  in  any  forward 
movement,  and  often  leading  the  way  to  prevent  threat- 
ened deficits.  He  was  a  noble  Christian  gentleman.  We 
miss  his  benign  face,  his  wise  counsels,  and  his  kindly  acts; 
but  we  bless  God  that  he  lived,  and  that  we  have  had  the 
benefit  of  intercourse  with  such  a  life.  We  trust  that  the 
memory  of  his  life  may  be  an  inspiration  to  faithful  ser- 
vice in  our  denomination  and  the  cause  of  Christ." 

Tribute  to  the  Retiring  President. 

We  quote  from  the  report:  "Upon  his  own  insistence 
President    Spencer    will    retire    after   six   years    of    self- 


216  HISTORY  OF  THE 

sacrificing  service.  During  his  administration  he  has 
seen  the  work  of  the  Convention  doubled  in  its  annual 
expenditure,  largely  increased  in  its  working  force,  its 
trust  funds  multiplied  by  more  than  two,  its  permanent 
fund  multiplied  by  seven  when  the  Eunice  Wood  estate 
shall  have  been  fully  settled.  He  has  freely  given  his 
best  thought,  time,  strength  and  money,  but  now  he  finds 
a  satisfying  return  in  the  more  prosperous  conditions 
that  welcome  his  successor." 

A  Providoitial  Delay. 

Allusion  has  been  made  to  the  large  legacy  of  nearly 
$40,000  left  by  Eunice  Wood.  This  as  the  Secretary 
tells  us,  came  from  a  stranger,  one  not  a  Baptist,  and  not 
personally  known  to  any  of  the  officers  of  the  Convention. 
She  was  a  resident  of  Ledyard,  and  a  frequent  attendant 
upon  the  little  chapel  there,  which  was  kept  open  only 
intermittently.  The  gift  was  entirely  unlooked  for  by 
anyone.  There  was  a  Providence  in  the  gift,  and  just  as 
marked  a  Providence  in  the  delay.  Had  it  been  covered 
into  the  Treasury  a  few  months  sooner  than  it  was,  it 
would  have  been  swallowed  up  in  the  defalcation.  The 
payment  was  delayed  until  after  the  exposure  of  the  em- 
bezzlement and,  as  a  strong  influence  in  restoring  courage 
in  the  hearts  of  our  people,  made  possible  the  splendid 
successes  of  the  next  year. 

The  Nc-zv  Canaan  Church. 

The  report  gave  very  encouraging  accounts  of  the  aided 
churches,  both  foreign  and  native.  There  were  a  few 
local  shadows,  but  in  general  there  was  clear  sunshine. 
The  New  Canaan  church  had  had  a  very  fluctuating  his- 
tory for  several  years  past.  Good  men  had  been  pastors 
there,  and  frequently  it  had  seemed  apparent  that  its 
future  was  assured.  Then  trouble  would  show  itself. 
Few  as  the  brethren  were,  they  could  not  dwell  together 
in  unity.     For  the  last  few  years  there  had  been  no  settled 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION      217 

ministry.  The  report  of  the  Board  said:  "A  Mormon 
elder  had  obtained  permission  from  the  local  committee 
to  hold  services  in  the  chapel.  This  committee  had  also 
refused  to  open  the  chapel,  when  not  otherwise  used, 
to  a  little  c6mpany  of  Italian  Baptists.  The  deed  of  the 
property  resting  in  the  Convention,  it  was  deemed  best 
to  dispose  of  it.  It  has  been  sold  for  $3,250,  and  the 
proceeds  have  been  added  to  the  Church  Edifice  Fund, 
where  it  may  be  used  to  better  advantage  in  a  more  favor- 
able environment." 

A  Return  lo  First  Principles. 

The  Secretary  in  the  report  advocated  the  doing  away 
of  all  auxiliary  mission  societies  within  the  church.  He 
said:  "The  ideal  church  will  not  be  segregated  on  lines 
of  age,  sex  or  specific  enthusiasms.  One  missionary 
organization  is  all  that  is  good  for  any  church.  Its  micm- 
bership  should  be  the  entire  membership  of  the  church; 
its  object  should  be  to  gather  from  time  to  time,  in  order 
to  consider  in  their  turn  all  the  interests  in  Christ's  king- 
dom, and  to  direct  its  support  in  any  number  of  directions 
as  may  seem  needed." 

The  position  taken  in  the  report  has  much  to  com- 
mend it.  Many  have  felt,  and  many  still  feel,  the  dis- 
integrating influence  in  a  church  of  a  multitude  of  organi- 
zations, such  as  it  has  been  ditHcult  to  articulate  into  the 
framework  of  the  church.  But  it  was  a  startling  prop- 
osition, and  so  foreign  to  the  practice  of  our  churches 
that  we  are  surprised  that  it  passed  the  Board  of  Trustees 
without  modification,  and  still  more  surprised  that  it  was 
not  challenged  by  some  of  the  delegates.  But  the  rush 
of  business  makes  deliberation  on  even  so  important  a 
paper  almost  impossible. 

Evangelistic  Forces. 

"Rev.  A.  F.  Baker,  who  had  done  such  excellent  service 
among  the  churches  was  compelled  to  resign  on  Septem- 


218  HISTORY  OF  THE 

ber  1.  A  successor  was  found  in  the  person  of  Rev.  A.  B. 
Coats,  D.D.  Since  September  1  he  has  aided  the  Willing- 
ton  and  the  two  Cornwall  churches.  The  need  of  a 
second  evangelist  who  is  especially  gifted  in  song  became 
so  apparent  that  a  few  men  and  women  heartily  promised 
to  be  responsible  for  the  salary  of  such  a  worker,  whom 
we  found  in  he  person  of  Rev.  C.  K.  Flanders.  He  also 
has  been  in  service  since  September  1,  and  has  already 
proved  the  wisdom  of  the  enlargement  of  our  working 
forces.  Already  the  time  of  these  brethren  is  fully 
promised  till  after  the  holidays.  We  only  require  that 
each  church  aided  should  provide  suitable  entertainment, 
pay  all  local  expenses  and  make  as  large  a  'thank-offering' 
for  the  Convention  as  possible." 

The  Passing  of  Two  Churches. 

"After  being  without  service  for  twenty  years,  the 
small  remnant  of  the  Tolland  church  is  seeking  by  due 
process  of  law  to  close  up  its  affairs  and  turn  the  proceeds 
over  to  the  Convention,  before  all  goes  to  ruin.  A  con- 
summation of  this  plan  is  likely  to  be  attained  at  an  early 
date."  "The  closing  of  the  mills  at  New  Hartford  a  few 
years  ago  resulted  in  wiping  out  the  resident  member- 
ship of  the  church,  thus  leaving  the  property  to  the  Con- 
vention. July  1  last  we  were  able  to  sell  the  property  to  a 
newly  organized  German  Lutheran  church  for  $1,700, 
more  than  could  be  realized  for  any  other  purpose."  It 
may  be  added  that  many  of  the  members  of  this  church 
had  found  their  way  into  the  Winsted  and  Torrington 
churches,  where  they  are  doing  loyal  service.  There  is 
no  reason  to  suppose  that  the  labor  bestowed  and  the 
money  spent  on  this  field  have  been  "in  vain  in  the  Lord." 

Summary  of  JVork. 

One  French  missionary  at  Putnam  and  Danielson,  five 
Italian  missionaries,  working  in  ten  different  stations; 
one  German,  and  five  Swedish  missionaries;  twenty-one 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION      219 

Juiglish-speaking  churches  aided,  all  at  a  cost  to  the  Con- 
vention of  $4,726.58.  Baptisms,  126.  Money  raised 
for  benevolence,  $1,332.79.  For  self-support,  $14,350.89. 

Report  of  Commute  on  E'vangelism. 

This  report  was  presented  by  Rev.  W.  A.  Spinney: 
"Your  committee  has  a  right  to  report  good  things 
regarding  the  work  in  this  state.  The  aim  and  real  pur- 
pose of  the  Convention  seems  to  center  in  the  spirit  and 
effort  of  evangelism.  Practically  we  have  three  men  in 
the  field:  Coats,  Flanders  and  Divine.  These  men  have 
come  from  successful  pastorates.  It  is  the  strong  evangel- 
istic pastor  who  is  called  to  the  chair  of  homiletics  in  one 
of  our  foremost  theological  seminaries.*  What  does 
that  mean,  but  that  we  are  to  have  a  new  generation  of 
pastors  thoroughly  imbued  with  the  spirit,  and  trained  in 
the  best  methods  of  evangelism?  The  ease  with  which 
the  money  for  this  specific  work  has  been  raised  from 
our  laymen  gives  renewed  evidence  of  the  value  of  this 
work  in  the  estimation  of  our  people.  Evangelism  is 
to  the  life  of  our  churches  what  wings  are  to  birds,  or 
fins  to  the  fish  of  the  sea.  Without  it  the  church  will 
never  move  or  soar  in  spiritual  activities.  There  has 
been  m.uch  talk  about  this  one  theme.  We  are  doing 
the  thing  talked  about." 

After  this  earnest  plea  for  evangelistic  methods  the 
Rev.  Dr.  Coats  made  an  excellent  address  on  the  general 
theme,  in  which  he  clearly  defined  some  of  the  unfavorable 
conditions  that  sometimes  render  such  special  services 
abortive.  It  all  depends  upon  the  motive  on  the  part 
of  pastor  or  people.  The  motives  may  be  radically 
wrong;  as  for  example: 

i.  A  certain  helpful  notoriety  comes  to  the  pastor, 
but  this  is  a  selfish  motive,  and  cannot  be  expected  to 
result  in  good. 

2.  A  revival  may  remove  obstacles  or  restore  a  spirit 
of  harmony;  but  this,  too,  may  be  a  self-seeking  motive. 

■^-  Rev.  Dr.  Woclfkin,  called  to  Rochester. 


220  HISTORY  OF  THE 

3.  The  church  sometimes  thinks  a  revival  would 
increase  a  declining  income. 

4.  Local  denominational  pride  sometimes  becomes  a 
motive. 

5.  At  times  a  mere  philanthropic  motiv^e  is  the  most 
urgent. 

6.  The  ultimate  motive  is  composed  of  three  elements : 
love  for  Christ,  sympathy  with  Christ,  loyalty  to  Christ. 

Report  on  Bible-schools. 

This  was  presented  by  Rev.  Frederick  Lent,  Ph.D.  We 
insert  a  few  of  the  most  telling  sentences: 

"7  he  true  conception  of  the  Bible-school  is  the  whole 
church  at  work  in  the  study  of  the  Bible.  Yet  not  more 
than  thirty  per  cent,  of  our  members  are  in  the  schools. 
Among  Christian  non-attendants  there  is  httle  devotional 
reading  of  the  Bible,  and  far  less  study  of  it.  .  .  It 
is  especially  inconsistent  for  a  Baptist  to  neglect  the 
study  of  the  Bible.  Have  we  not  said  to  the  world,  'We 
have  no  creed  but  the  Word,  as  interpreted  by  Jesus 
Christ?'  How  absurd  for  one  who  claims  to  stand  on 
the  foundation  of  the  apostles  and  prophets  to  absent 
himself  from  that  one  session  of  the  church  where  he  can 
seriously  study  the  Scriptures.  .  .  Because  our  mem- 
bers do  not  understand  allusions  to  the  best  known  Bible 
incidents  and  doctrines,  their  preacher's  message  loses 
its  point,  and  the  arrow  that  would  have  pierced  their 
armor  is  blunted  against  the  impenetrable  coat-of-mail  of 
ignorance.  The  only  genuine  permanent  revival  of 
religion  must  begin  by  getting  the  whole  church  into  the 
school.  .  .  .  Most  of  our  churches  demand  good 
preaching;  and  they  pay,  not  well,  but  considerably  for 
it.  Some  demand  good  music;  and  they  pay  for  that. 
But  these  same  churches  pay  little  or  nothing  for  their 
Bible-schools.  Would  not  the  money  paid  for  music 
sometimes  be  better  employed  in  securing  an  associate 
pastor,  whose  chief  function  should  be  the  training  of  a 
competent  force  of  teachers?" 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION      221 

Rev.  H.  M.   Thompson,  D.D.,  President. 

The  retiring  President,  having  gracefully  introduced 
him,  the  newly  elected  incumbent.  Dr.  Thompson,  said: 
"It  is  with  great  humility  and  reluctance  that  I  accept 
this  position.  I  recognize  the  responsibility  that  will  be 
upon  me  for  the  coming  year,  and  I  feel  unequal  to  the 
accomplishment  of  the  task.  I  must  have  declined  the 
honor  were  it  not  for  the  feeling  that  I  am  in  a  vicarious 
sense  showing  the  appreciation  of  the  church  of  which 
I  am  pastor.  Twenty-t%vo  years  ago  thirty  poor  people 
felt  that  they  must  establish  a  church.  They  could  not 
have  done  this  but  for  the  help  of  the  Convention.  This 
was  given,  and  three  years  later  they  became  self-sup- 
porting. The  property  was  bought,  the  Convention  paid 
the  interest,  the  church  paid  the  principal,  and  in  five 
years  they  were  free  from  debt.  You  cannot  question 
but  that  the  church  has  been  and  will  be  loyal  to  the 
interests  of  the  Convention,  and  as  pastor  of  that  church 
I  am  ready  to  make  an  offer  of  such  service  as  I  can 
render,  knowing  that  the  church  will  be  ready  to  spare 
me  for  the  time  necessary  for  the  work.  I  want  simply 
to  say  that  I  am  putting  myself  at  your  service  for  Jesus' 
sake." 

General  Business  of  the  Convention. 

The  usual  reports  of  committees  were  presented:  On 
Temperance,  by  Rev.  W.  V.  Gray;  on  Obituaries,  by  Rev. 
S.  G.  Hastings;  on  Home  and  Foreign  Missions,  by  Rev. 
G.  W.  Nicholson;  on  State  of  Religion  in  the  Churches, 
by  Rev.  P.  C.  Wright;  on  Christian  Stewardship,  by 
Rev.  W.  A.  Spinney.  By  vote  of  the  body  the  Com- 
mittee on  Stewardship  was  made  a  standing  committee. 
All  of  these  reports  were  of  a  high  order  of  merit  and 
deserved  more  careful  hearing  and  deliberation  than  it 
was  possible  for  them  to  receive  in  sessions  so  crowded 
with  business. 

On  the  recommendation  of  Mr.  C.  O.  Spencer,  Chair- 
man of  the   Historical    Committee,   the   committee  was 


15 


222  HISTORY  OF  THE 

authorized  to  secure  the  services  of  Rev.  P.  S.  Evans  to 
prepare  a  history  of  the  Convention. 

This  had  been  the  most  prosperous  year  in  all  the  long 
and  honorable  career  of  this  body.  A  larger  evangelistic 
force  than  ever  had  been  employed.  An  abundant  har- 
vest had  been  gathered  in.  More  than  double  the  average 
of  contributions  had  been  received.  The  exhibit  made 
by  the  Treasurer  was  most  gratifying.  He  reported  the 
resources  of  the  treasury  as  $73,251,  with  no  obligations 
beyond  the  interest  on  the  Annuity  Funds. 

The  Year  of  Trial  and  Triumph. 

1907.  The  eighty-fourth  annual  meeting  of  the  Conven- 
tion was  held  with  the  Putnam  church,  Rev.  J. 
R.  Stubbert,  pastor.  Although  it  was  held  in  the  north- 
east corner  of  the  state,  there  was  a  large  attendance. 
The  enrollment  showed  that  seventy-four  pastors  and 
two  hundred  and  thirty-two  delegates  were  present,  but 
as  many,  according  to  the  usual  habit,  failed  to  register, 
we  may  safely  place  the  entire  number  present  at  no 
fewer  than  four  hundred,  besides  the  members  of  the 
local  church.  From  the  opening  to  the  close  the  interest 
was  unflagging.  The  minutes  occupy  ninety  printed  pages, 
of  which  the  report  of  the  Board  takes  twenty-one. 

Rev.  H.  M.  Thompson,  D.D.,  called  the  Convention 
to  order.  Pastor  Thompson  was  reelected  President, 
Rev.  F.  H.  Divine,  Secretary,  and  Charles  Edward 
Prior,  Treasurer. 

Pastor  Sttibberl's  JVclcome. 

"It  is  easy  to  say  'Welcome,'  and  it  is  just  as  easy  to 
feel  in  our  hearts  that  you  are  welcome.  In  the  year 
1848  a  church  was  erected  on  this  ground.  In  1873  it 
was  consumed  by  fire.  A  new  one  was  erected  and  this 
one  was  dedicated  in  1874,  and  in  October  of  that  year 
the  Convention  met  with  us.  In  the  year  1889  the  Con- 
vention came  again.     In  1907  it  comes  once  more,  making 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION      223 

three  times  in  thirty-three  years.  I  do  not  feel  myself 
very  old,  and  yet  this  is  the  thirty-second  Convention  I 
have  attended. 

"This  has  been  a  wonderlul  year  to  the  Baptists  of 
Connecticut.  We  met  a  year  ago  with  joyful  hearts, 
and  great  were  our  expectations  for  a  glorious  year  for 
God.  But  soon  such  a  misfortune  came  to  us  as  wrung 
the  tears  from  our  eyes,  and  anguish  from  our  hearts. 
The  man  who  has  brought  such  sorrow  upon  us  was,  dur- 
ing six  years  of  his  boyhood,  trained  in  our  Bible-school, 
while  his  father,  the  sweet  singer  in  Israel,  was  the 
beloved  pastor  of  this  church. 

"There  was  great  discouragement  during  the  cold 
months.  Our  robust  Secretary  soon  rallied,  and  one 
good  man  in  the  farther  corner  of  the  state,  Brother 
Grippen,  for  four  years  our  President  started  us  with 
$5,000,  and  told  Brother  Divine  to  go  ahead,  and  the 
people  would  not  go  back  on  him.  The  churches  have 
justified  this  confidence,  and  today  I  think  it  will  be  pro- 
claimed that  all  is  raised. 

"The  putting  back  of  this  money  into  the  treasury 
Is  good,  but  that  is  not  half  the  good  that  has  come  to 
us.  A  far  greater  good  is  the  blessing  that  has  come 
to  the  churches  in  the  sacrifices  they  have  made,  and  in 
realizing  their  ability  to  rise  to  this  demand  upon  their 
benevolence,  a  blessing  they  will  not  get  over  in  all  time." 

Address   of  the  President. 

In  reply  to  the  words  of  welcome  the  President  said: 
"We  are  indeed  passing,  through  a  wonderful  period. 
We  are  making  history.  I  was  present  eighteen  years 
ago,  when  the  Convention  met  here,  and  made  my  maiden 
speech  before  this  body.  I  cannot  fail  to  have  in  mind 
the  faces  of  two  men:  Dean  Wayland,  and  one  who  was 
very  dear  to  me.  Rev.  P.  G.  Wightman,  who  preached  the 
sermon,  from  the  text,  'Enlarge  the  place  of  thy  tent.' 
As  we  recall  the  place  of  meeting  at  that  time,  and  then 
look  upon  this  beautiful  edifice,  we  recognize  that  this 


224  HISTORY  OF  THE 

church  has  enlarged  the  place  of  its  tent.  It  has  shown 
its  wisdom  in  calling  back  our  young  brother  to  the 
pastorate.  The  Convention  also  has  enlarged  the  place 
of  its  tent.  Then  we  could  hardly  maintain  one  worker. 
Now  we  have  a  Superintendent  of  Missions,  two  evangel- 
ists, one  colporteur,  and  one  assistant  in  the  Italian  work. 
For  the  Convention  I  gratefully  accept  the  hospitality 
of  this  church." 

Directly  addressing  the  Convention  the  President  said 
in  part:  "The  presentation  of  the  record  of  the  year  I 
shall  leave  to  our  Secretary,  who  has  stood  nearest  to 
the  work,  and  who  has  with  untiring  energy  manifested 
great  zeal  and  earnestness  in  the  service  of  the  Conven- 
tion. 

"We  have  had  a  very  critical  year  in  our  history,  and 
the  crisis  is  not  yet  past.  We  appear  to  be  at  a  parting 
of  ways.  Human  nature  is  inclined  to  seek,  the  path  of 
least  resistance.  It  is  easier  to  take  a  dead  level  in  life 
than  to  seek  the  heights,  to  hold  the  fort  than  to  capture 
the  enemy's  position,  to  hold  our  wealth  than  to  invest  it 
in  that  which  promises  only  uncertain  returns,  to  take 
our  ease  rather  than  to  stir  ourselves  even  to  save  others. 
It  is  possible  that  this  Convention  even  after  its  heroic 
struggle  of  the  last  months,  and  partly  because  of  it,  may 
elect  an  easier  path  for  the  future,  may  decide  to  retrench, 
to  cut  its  force  of  workers  down  to  an  extent  that  will  im- 
peril the  enterprise  of  soul-winning  and  of  Christian 
character-building.  But  I  believe  you  will  choose  the 
better  way.  It  is  a  rugged  way.  It  is  hill-climbing.  It 
is  the  way  of  consecrated  service.  But  the  atmosphere 
will  be  clear,  the  backward  look  satisfying,  the  vision 
of  the  future  glorious." 

After  a  brief  review  of  the  progress  of  the  work,  and 
of  the  new  fields  that  had  opened  up,  the  President  said: 
"We  cannot  abandon  any  part  of  our  work  and  be  true 
to  ourselves  and  our  commission.  Let  our  first  consider- 
ation be  the  reign  of  God  in  human  hearts,  not  the  ques- 
tion of  church  extension.  This  will  result,  but  let  it  be  a 
result. 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION      225 

"I  long  to  see  a  country  pastorate  of  vigorous  men,  so 
well  paid  that  they  can  devote  themselves  to  the  spiritual 
harvest  fields  early  and  late  when  they  are  required;  not 
anxious  about  old  age;  able  by  economy  to  give  their 
children  an  education;  having  ability  occasionally  to  get 
a  meaty  book,  and  time  to  devour  it;  cultivating  Chris- 
tians rather  than  chickens  and  cabbage;  able  to  own  a 
horse  and  saddle-bags.  If  one  field  is  not  enough  for 
such  a  man,  give  him  the  one  next  to  it,  and  the  salary 
of  both.    Abandon  the  country?    Never." 

With  equal  warmth  he  pressed  upon  the  Convention 
the  claims  of  the  cities  and  of  the  increasing  multitude 
of  foreigners.  "Our  present  duty  is  plain.  Our  lives  and 
our  money  should  be  given  to  our  generation.  Then  the 
seed  of  the  next  generation  will  be  the  children  of  the 
Kingdom,  saved  by  the  grace  of  God  through  us.  The 
solution  of  all  the  problems  is.  Evangelize,  Evangelize." 

Report  of  the  Board  of  Trustees. 

This  report  proved  to  be  the  last  that  Brother  Divine 
was  destined  to  prepare  for  the  Convention.  The  highly 
efiicient  service  he  had  rendered  through  the  four  pre- 
ceding years  had  been  abundantly  evidenced  in  the  results 
achieved.  He  did  his  work  so  well  in  this  last  year,  ihe 
year  of  trial  and  of  triumph,  that  his  services  were 
coveted  for  a  larger  field, — not  larger  in  extent  of  terri- 
tory, but  of  more  nationally  extensive  importance.  It 
was  providential  that  there  was  found  at  the  service 
of  the  Board  such  a  man  as  Rev.  A.  B.  Coats,  D.D.,  who 
during  a  year's  labor  in  the  state  had  become  intimate 
with  the  conditions  of  the  work,  and  had  found  much 
favor  with  the  pastors  and  churches  of  the  state.  The 
worker  may  leave,  but  the  work  goes  on.  No  two  workers 
are  alike.  Gifts  differ,  but  in  the  Lord's  work  the  same 
spirit  actuates  all.  We  may  well  believe  that  the  differ- 
ences, temperamental  or  other,  between  these  two  breth- 
ren may  inure  to  the  benefit  of  the  work  that  Brother 
Coats  has  taken  up.  We  extract  a  few  paragraphs  from 
this  last  report  of  Superintendent  Divine. 


226  HISTORY  OF  THE 

"Our  report  last  year  began  with  a  song  of  praise,  and 
we  looked  Into  the  year  now  ending  with  large  plans, 
strong  hopes,  and  an  optimistic  faith  that  was  backed 
by  a  willingness  to  do  in  the  name  of  the  Master.  We 
close  the  year  and  face  another  with  an  anthem  of  praise 
on  our  lips,  though  our  eyes  are  blinded  with  the  mingled 
tears  of  sorrow  and  of  joy.  Since  the  days  of  the  trials 
of  our  fathers  by  bitter  persecution,  Connecticut  Bap- 
tists have  never  been  put  to  a  severer  test,  and  never 
have  they  shown  a  better  mettle  than  now.  While  we 
make  this  a  day  of  rejoicing  over  a  mighty  victory,  we 
ascribe  all  praise,  honor  and  glory  to  Him  alone  who 
makes  the  wrath  of  man  to  praise  Him,  and  restrains  the 
remainder  of  wrath. 

A  Misfortune  Made  a  Blessing. 

"On  February  11,  1907,  the  shocking  discovery  was 
made  that  William  F.  Walker,  who  had  served  as  the 
Convention's  Treasurer  for  more  than  twenty  years,  had 
disappeared,  and  the  Convention's  funds  had  sustained 
enormous  losses." 

Then  follows  a  detailed  account  of  these  losses,  pre- 
pared by  the  special  committee  consisting  of  Charles 
Edward  Prior,  the  new  Treasurer,  Edward  K.  Nichol- 
son, who  had  been  appointed  Attorney  by  the  Board,  and 
Rev.  F.  H.  Divine,  the  Secretary  and  Superintendent. 
The  report  was  prefaced  with  the  following  statements: 

"The  Connecticut  Baptist  Convention  is  made  up  of 
all  the  Baptist  churches  and  members  thereof  in  the  state 
of  Connecticut.  Its  obligations,  moral,  legal  and  relig- 
ious, are  equally  the  obligations  of  each  member  thereof. 
This  statement  is  made  that  each  may  know  the  facts, 
and  also  determine  a  course  of  action  that  is  in  keeping 
with  every  high  moral  sense,  when  the  facts  are  in  hand. 

"We  are  unwilling  to  evade  responsibility,  to  make  the 
bankrupt's  plea  at  the  bar  of  conscience,  to  violate  sacred 
trusts,  to  obliterate  the  names  and  memories  of  our  fallen 
benefactors,  and  much  less  to  abandon  or  neglect  the 
work  that  the  income  of  these  funds  was  intended  to 
further  and  support. 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION      227 

"The  policy  taken  will  largely  determine  future  sup- 
port. Observing  men  and  women  are  quick  to  perceive 
and  act.  Their  judgment  is  according  to  the  discovered 
motives,  and  the  results,  often  unspoken,  are  the  measure 
of  their  respect  or  disgust.  Ours  is  a  hard  task,  but 
honor  is  above  cost.     It  always  pays.     It  will  now." 

Then  follow  the  details  of  the  losses  in  the  Trust 
Funds,  the  Annuity  Funds  and  the  Permanent  Funds, 
totalling  $63,041.06,  with  miscellaneous  assets  of  $5,751, 
leaving  a  net  loss  of  $57,290.06. 

"The  Board  met  in  special  session  February  19  for  the 
purpose  of  taking  such  action  as  might  be  deemed  neces- 
sary at  this  crisis.  The  office  of  Treasurer  was  declared 
vacant,  and  Charles  Edward  Prior  was  appointed  Treas- 
urer for  the  remainder  of  the  Convention  year.  After 
careful  deliberation  all  m.atters  relating  to  the  handling 
of  the  finances  for  the  present  were  referred  to  a  com- 
mittee of  six,  in  most  cases  with  power  to  act,  and  in  all 
cases  their  acts  were  to  be  referred  to  the  Board  for 
ratification.  The  committee  is  as  follows:  Chairman, 
C.  O.  Spencer;  Secretary,  F.  H.  Divine;  members,  Ed- 
ward K.  Nicholson,  W.  A.  Grippen,  Alfred  Spencer,  Jr., 
Ezra  H.  Stevens  and  Charles  Edward  Prior  ex-offirio.'' 

Report  of  Commiltce  of  Six. 

A  report  of  this  committee  was  included  in  the  report 
of  the  Board  of  Trustees.  We  quote  a  few  of  the  most 
essential  facts  embodied  in  this  report. 

It  was  discovered  that  the  apparent  assets  contained 
worthless  and  forged  paper  amounting  to  $9,461.  Of 
the  other  assets  doubtful  and  undesirable  securities  had 
now  been  sold  and  the  proceeds  put  into  such  form  as 
would  remove  all  question.  The  Treasurer  had  secured 
the  Convention  by  executing  a  bond  for  $10,000,  liable 
to  increase  as  the  Committee  of  Six  might  direct.  The 
Secretary  also  had  been  placed  under  bond  for  $1,000. 
Every  mortgage  executed,  every  bond  purchased  or  ac- 
quired by  gift,  and  every  bank  account  was  now  made 


228  HISTORY  OF  THE 

and  held  in  the  name  of  the  Connecticut  Baptist  Con- 
vention, and  not  in  the  name  of  the  Treasurer. 

"All  known  lawful  outstanding  obligations  of  every 
kind  have  been  paid.  The  Rowayton  Fund  has  been 
fully  restored  and  returned  to  the  church  at  its  request. 
All  matured  interest  obligations  have  been  met  to  date, 
and  all  dividends  due  beneficiaries  have  been  paid  reg- 
ularly. All  appropriations  and  salaries  have  also  been 
paid  v/hen  due.  In  the  case  of  funds  that  have  been  lost, 
your  committee  has  in  every  case  agreed  to  pay  the 
beneficiaries  four  per  cent,  upon  the  principal  of  such 
losses,  until  such  time  as  the  said  losses  shall  have  been 
fully  restored  and  investigated,  whereupon  each  bene- 
ficiary will  receive  the  entire  net  earnings  of  the  fund  to 
which  it  is  entitled." 

The  Secretary  of  the  Convention  went  on  to  give  some 
account  of  the  struggle  and  the  victory,  which  account  we 
transcribe  in  full. 

The  Secretary's  Account  of  the  Struggle  and  the  Victory. 

"The  foregoing  facts  give  the  outline  of  one  of  the 
greatest  misfortunes  that  have  ever  befallen  any  Baptist 
missionary  body.  The  losses  to  funds  given  for  sacred 
purposes,  the  losses  to  needed  income  for  the  work  of  the 
current  year,  the  losses  of  service  that  would  have  been 
rendered  in  evanglistic  effort,  and  the  loss  of  the  man  who 
has  gone,  the  greatest  loss  of  all,  are  too  great  for  com- 
putation. Despite  this  dark  and  distressing  outlook, 
your  Board  set  itself  to  the  task  of  restoring  all  trust 
and  other  funds,  and  the  meeting  of  every  obligation. 

"The  campaign  to  raise  $50,000  has  been  pushed  with 
courage,  faith  and  persistency  since  the  middle  of  April. 
Pastors  and  people  alike  in  all  of  our  churches  have  taken 
a  stand  that  is  an  example  to  all  the  world.  The  poor 
have  given  to  the  point  of  sacrifice,  while  the  more 
prosperous  have  made  these  gifts  effectual.  It  is  expected 
that  when  this  report  shall  be  put  into  your  hands  the 
entire  sum  needed  will  have  been  pledged,  while  Ave  are 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION      229 

glad  to  report  that  much  of  the  amount  has  been  paid  In, 
and  the  balance  is  being  paid  in  rapidly. 

''Through  all  this  struggle  and  gloom  not  a  promise 
has  been  broken  by  your  Board,  not  an  appropriation 
reduced,  not  a  missionary  or  Convention  worker  dis- 
charged, and  no  form  of  retrenchment  adopted.  Restor- 
ation of  every  fund  has  been  provided  for,  every  legacy 
kept  intact,  every  obligation  met,  and  every  name  pre- 
served to  memory.  Forward,  not  backward,  has  been  the 
cry. 

"As  the  clouds  lift  and  we  discover  ourselves  once 
again,  the  Connecticut  Baptist  Convention  is  again  a  new 
and  living  thing  in  the  minds  of  thousands;  her  interests 
are  theirs  in  a  very  real  sense;  her  people  stand  together 
as  never  before;  closets  and  family  altars  know  a  new 
object  of  petition,  while  we  have  driven  back  every  cause 
of  reproach,  every  fear  of  compromise  or  evasion.  The 
glory  of  Christ  in  the  Church  Militant  is  more  conspic- 
uous, as  are  also  the  future  hopes  of  the  Convention, 
while  its  work  Is  largely  increased  In  every  way." 

Gencrcil  Survey  of  the  Field. 

This  part  of  the  report  of  the  Board  was  as  gratifying 
as  in  former  years.  The  Vv'ork  for  the  Italians  was  pro- 
gressing finely.  Especially  was  this  true  in  New  Haven, 
where  the  possession  of  the  large  premises  secured  by 
them  enabled  them  to  organize  and  conduct  successfully 
so  many  branches  of  what  may  be  called  Settlement 
Work.  Similar  quarters  for  the  Hartford  work  were  a 
necessity  that  demanded  early  attention  and  large  giving, 
rhe  report  said:  "The  progress  attending  our  Italian 
missions  makes  pathetic  a  situation  confronting  most  of 
our  churches  and  large  communities.  Colonies  of  thou- 
sands of  these  new-comers  are  neglected,  simply  for  want 
of  men  and  m.oney  to  give  them  the  Gospel.  Many  of 
our  churches  could  do  more  for  these  people  if  the  vision 
of  faith  and  service  recognized  the  breadth  and  equality 
of  the  Great  Commission.     Other  races  there  are  among 


230  HISTORY  OF  THE 

us  who  need  our  service,  among  whom  are  the  Poles, 
the  Hungarians,  and  the  Jews.  Too  much  money  and 
too  many  workers  cannot  be  sent  to  the  remoter  parts, 
but  too  little  may  be  done  at  our  own  doors." 

Work  among  the  Swedes  had  from  the  first  been  the 
most  promising  of  our  mission  enterprises.  They  were 
more  appreciative,  more  responsive,  more  self-helpful, 
more  aggressive  than  any  other  class  to  which  we  had 
extended  a  helping  hand.  In  Bridgeport,  where  there 
had  been  for  several  years  a  self-supporting  church,  a 
new  church  had  been  organized  in  the  eastern  section  of 
the  city,  known  as  the  Bethel  Swedish  Baptist  church, 
with  twenty-two  members.  This  was  in  fact  a  child  of  the 
First  Swedish  church,  and  a  large  and  growing  Scandi- 
navian population  surrounding  this  new  interest  insured  a 
fruitful  field. 

The  English-speaking  churches  which  had  been  aided 
were  holding  on  the  even  tenor  of  their  way.  They  were, 
with  two  or  three  exceptions,  country  churches  that  had 
little  prospect  of  attaining  to  self-support,  owing  to  con- 
ditions that  are  familiar  to  our  readers.  But  they  could 
not  be  abandoned,  because  the  communities  needed  them, 
and  from  them  there  was  still  a  steady  Inflow  of  young 
and  vigorous  blood  into  our  city  churches.  The  East 
End  church,  Bridgeport,  organized  two  years  before,  and 
worshipping  in  a  hired  hall,  had  purchased  a  lot  at  a  cost 
of  $2,000.  The  Convention  had  been  able  to  contribute 
$500  towards  the  purchase,  but  only  through  a  gift  of 
this  amount  to  the  Church  Edifice  Fund  by  Mr.  W.  A. 
Grippen,  always  a  generous  giver. 

Evangelism. 

The  work  along  this  line  had  been  interrupted  by  the 
great  disaster  to  the  treasury.  The  Superintendent  was 
compelled  to  abandon  all  his  plans  for  this  service  In 
the  middle  of  February.  Both  evangelists  were  called 
to  devote  their  time  to  the  Restoration  Fund  at  the  end 
of  April.     Evangelistic  services,  however,  had  been  held 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION      231 

through  the  winter  and  early  spring  in  eighteen  churches. 
Of  the  eight  hundred  and  sixty-nine  baptisms  reported  this 
year,  two  hundred  were  from  these  churches,  and  at  least 
in  part  were  the  results  of  these  special  services.  So  the 
plea  for  money  was  not  the  only  plea  heard  from  the 
Convention  workers. 

Summary  of  JVork  on  Mission  Fields. 

Seven  Italian  missionaries  had  been  employed,  on  ten 
fields.  One  German  church,  four  Swedish,  and  twenty- 
seven  English-speaking  churches  had  received  aid.  Bap- 
tisms reported  from  these  fields,  122.  Cost  to  the  Con- 
vention: for  the  Italian  work,  $2,382.34;  for  aid  to 
churches,  $3,100.78.  Benevolence  of  the  aided  churches, 
$2,483.15.    Church  expenses,  $18,260.27. 

General  Doings  of  the  Convention. 

Only  portions  of  the  long  report  of  the  Board  of 
Trustees,  the  gist  of  which  is  given  above,  were  read  in 
the  Convention.  These  excited  intense  interest  and 
enthusiasm.  It  was  hard  to  leave  the  mountain-top  and 
come  down  to  the  plane  of  the  ordinary  routine  of  busi- 
ness. But  a  program  as  varied  and  interesting  as  usual 
had  been  prepared  and  was  followed  without  any  devi- 
ation. Several  of  the  workers  gave  accounts  of  their 
experiences.  Rev.  Dr.  Spalding  of  the  Publication 
Society  told  the  story  of  the  five  colporteur  wagons  that 
were  at  work  in  New  England,  one  of  which  had  been 
doing  good  service  in  Connecticut. 

Christian  Stewardship. 

The  report  on  this  subject  was  presented  by  Rev.  W. 
A.  Spinney,  and  it  ended  with  three  suggestions: 

"1.  That  pastors  seek  to  master  the  principle  of 
stewardship.  Present  frequently,  boldly,  kindly,  the 
scriptural  basis  for  these  views.  Study  this  great  truth 
apart  from  any  special  offering. 


232  HISTORY  OF  THE 

"2.  That  those  entrusted  to  make  assoclational  pro- 
grams allow  a  generous  place  for  the  discussion  of  this 
vital  principle,  and  freely  distribute  the  literature  on  the 
subject. 

"3.  That  in  the  State  Pastors'  Conference  and  in  the 
Convention  ample  opportunity  be  furnished  for  the  full- 
est consideration  of  this  most  vital  question  in  all  its 
phases  and  applications. 

"We  are  sure  that  with  anything  like  general  practice 
of  this  great  and  fundamental  truth  there  will  result  an 
abundance  of  money  for  all  the  Lord's  work,  and  an  evi- 
dent uplift  of  spiritual  life  and  power." 

Report  on  the  State  of  the  Churches. 

This  was  presented  by  Rev.  Oscar  Haywood,  D.D.  It 
differed  much  from  the  customary  reports.  We  quote  a 
few  of  the  most  significant  paragraphs: 

"In  the  recorded  history  of  your  churches  the  multipli- 
cation table  has  its  uses,  and  figures  are  indispensable. 
But  when  the  spirit  of  commercialism  or  scientific  criti- 
cism dogmatically  aflirms  that  the  mathematician  is  the 
final  judge  in  matters  religious,  we  claim  that  the  king- 
dom of  God  cannot  be  gauged  by  pencils  and  testing 
tubes. 

"Our  Baptist  hosts  are  uncountable.  No  accurate  esti- 
mate can  be  made.  Some  years  ago  in  Kentucky  a 
community  of  20,000  Baptists  was  discovered,  who  had 
never  been  tabulated.  Our  growth  has  to  do  with  the 
spiritual,  real  life  and  consciousness  of  a  great  people. 

"Your  commitee  believes  that  there  is  a  growing  sense 
of  solidarity  with  the  Baptist  people  of  Connecticut. 
During  the  year  just  closed  there  has  come  to  us  an 
episode  which  had  in  its  surprise  the  shock  of  calamity. 
The  death  of  a  thousand  strong  men  would  not  mean  so 
much  as  the  moral  ruin  of  one  trusted  man.  In  the 
fellowship  of  disaster  and  shame  we  have  gone  down 
upon  our  knees  before  the  throne  of  grace,  and  we  found 
not  only  Jesus  Christ  in  the  brotherhood  of  his  suffering, 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION      233 

but  we  found  also  that  the  denominational  brotherhood 
was  strengthened  and  sweetened  by  that  experience.  We 
are  a  richer,  stronger  people  today  by  reason  of  that  loss, 
which  was  the  exchange  of  visible,  tangible  wealth  for 
the  inward  grace  of  unity." 

Report  on  Bible-schools. 

This  report  was  presented  by  Rev.  H.  B.  Carpenter. 
From  an  extensive  correspondence  with  superintendents 
and  teachers  he  had  found  substantial  agreement  upon 
the  following  points: 

"1.  That  our  Bible-schools  present  to  us  our  most 
vital  point  of  contact  with  the  community.  The  way  of 
approach  to  the  home  and  to  the  hearts  of  its  inmates 
is  in  the  care  and  training  of  the  child. 

"2.  That  a  more  sympathetic  cooperation  and  a  more 
practical  union  of  the  church  with  the  Bible-school  is 
essential.  The  school  is  the  church  college,  from  which 
no  person  should  ever  graduate.  The  critical  age,  as  it 
is  called,  when  the  boy  becomes  restive  and  wants  to 
quit,  would  be  less  critical  if  he  could  see  his  father  luid 
the  men  of  the  church  in  the  Bible-class. 

"3.  That  the  Bible-school  is  educational  In  the  broad 
sense.  In  moral,  social  and  religious  development.  This 
educational  mission  should  extend  Into  the  community  by 
establishing  home  departments,  by  meetings  for  mothers 
and  fathers,  and  by  special  classes  for  teaching  boys  and 
girls  the  sacred  laws  of  life, 

"4.  That  the  Bible-school  is  the  great  evangelizing 
agency.  We  want  to  emphasize  the  relation  of  the  Con- 
vention to  all  the  work  of  the  school.  It  is  primarily 
an  educational  relation,  the  relation  of  a  great  teacher 
to  a  multitude  of  teachers  waiting  to  be  instructed  In  the 
most  efficient  m.ethods  of  teaching.  We  do  not  need  a 
Sunday-school  evangelist,  but  we  do  need  a  Sunday-school 
worker  to  Instruct  our  teachers  to  be  evangelists  and 
efficient  workers  in  all  directions.  Such  a  worker  is  called 
for  from  every  part  of  the  state.  Your  committee  believes 
it  Is  the  part  of  wisdom  to  consider  this  call." 


234  HISTORY  OF  THE 

/^6-c.  E.  E.   Chivers,  D.D. 

The  Convention  had  the  privilege  of  Hstening  to  an 
address  by  Dr.  Chivers  on  the  theme,  "A  Complex 
Problem."  lie  was  at  that  time  engaged  in  the  crown- 
ing work  of  his  useful,  consecrated  life.  He  was  the 
leader  in  the  national  evangelistic  work  inaugurated  by 
the  Baptist  Home  Mission  Society.  His  special  work 
had  been  to  seek  to  quicken  in  the  minds  and  hearts  of 
the  ministry  the  true  evangelistic  spirit.  He  had  him- 
self the  zeal  and  spirituality  of  an  apostle.  He  lived  and 
spoke  as  one  who  had  the  vision  of  the  Christ  always 
before  him.  Had  the  members  of  the  Convention  known 
that  his  period  of  service  was  so  soon  to  close  they  would 
have  heard  him  with  more  intense  interest  and  his  words 
of  entreaty  and  counsel  would  have  been  recorded.  He 
had  frequently  visited  our  state.  In  his  capacity  as  an 
ofncer  of  the  Home  Mission  Society  he  had  counselled 
with  the  officers  and  committees  of  the  Convention  in 
regard  to  the  work  among  the  foreign-born,  in  which 
work  that  society  bore  and  still  bears  an  equal  part  with 
ourselves.  He  was  one  of  God's  elect,  "a  chosen  vessel." 
Let  us  not  think  he  has  closed  his  labors,  but  rather  that 
he  has  entered  upon  a  larger,  more  honorable,  and  more 
fruitful  field  of  work  among  the  ransomed  hosts,  who 
vet  have  so  much  to  learn  of  the  grace  and  glory  of  our 
Lord. 

Report  on  Home  and  Foreign  Missions. 

This  report  was  presented  in  the  early  session  of 
Wednesday  when  the  attendance  was  quite  small,  by 
Rev.  Robert  C.  Hull,  then  of  Suffield.  In  it  he  referred 
to  the  action  of  the  Boards,  in  compliance  with  the 
resolution  adopted  at  the  last  May  Anniversaries,  of 
apportioning  to  the  different  churches  their  equitable 
ratio  of  the  sums  needed  to  carry  on  the  operations  of 
these  societies.  In  accordance  with  this  new  plan,  the 
state  of  Connecticut  had  been  assessed  as  follows:   for 


CONNECllCUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION      235 

the  Missionary  Union.  $15,647.50;  for  the  Home  Mis- 
sion Society,  $12,700;  for  the  Publication  Society,  $3,000, 
making  in'all  $31,547.50. 

The  amount  asked  for  was  practically  double  what  the 
churches  had  been  accustomed  to  give.  The  report  said : 
"The  action  of  the  societies  in  asking  us  to  double  our 
gifts,  an  action  doubtless  unavoidable,  will  make  it  very 
difficult  for  our  churches  to  meet  the  obligation  this  year. 
Nevertheless  for  the  sake  of  present  needs  and  of  future 
results  it  must  be  done.  In  the  year  just  closed  a  special 
appeal  was  made  by  Rev.  W.  S.  Sweet  of  Hangchow, 
China,  to  raise  $20,000  for  the  Wayland  Academy  in 
Hangchow.  He  met  with  a  generous  response.  Had  it 
not  been  for  the  more  imperative  need  of  the  Restoration 
Fund  he  would  probably  have  received  the  full  amount." 

We  find  from  the  returns  of  the  churches  that  not- 
withstanding the  efforts  made  in  behalf  of  the  Restoration 
Fund  they  had  given  during  the  year:  for  Home  Mis- 
sions, $12,223.75;  for  Foreign  Missions,  $10,689.02; 
for  Publication  Society,  $804.34;  in  all,  $23,726.93,  fall- 
ing short  of  the  full  apportionment  less  than  $8,000. 

Report  on  EvcDiyclism. 

This  was  presented  on  Wednesday  afternoon  by  Rev. 
W.  A.  Spinney.  It  was  a  very  earnest  and  effective  paper 
and  should  have  received  far  more  attention  than  we  fear 
it  did  at  the  close  of  such  a  crowded  meeting,  or  series 
of  meetings,  beginning  at  noon  of  Monday  and  not  end- 
ing till  late  on  Wednesday.  The  report  closed  with  a 
ringing  appeal  for  the  holding  of  three  district  confer- 
ences on  evangelism,  and  these  to  be  preparatory  to  a 
general  state  conference,  to  be  held  in  New  Haven.  "The 
power  that  saves  the  soul  is  Jesus  Christ.  The  hea\en- 
born  agency  for  the  salvation  of  the  world  is  delegated 
to  the  redeemed.  The  spirit  of  God  is  the  convincing, 
directing  power  in  the  child  of  God,  and  upon  the  sinner, 
in  soul-winning  and  salvation.  May  this  threefold  vision 
be  granted  to  all  our  churches,  and  these  powers  find 
clear  evidence  among  all  our  people  in  the  year  to  come." 


236  HISTORY  OF  THE 

Report  on  Obituaries. 

This  report,  like  those  of  several  previous  years,  was 
presented  by  Rev.  S.  G.  Hastings.  No  reports  prepared 
for  the  Convention  demand  so  much  time  and  care  as 
these.  The  report  this  year  was  unusually  long,  contain- 
ing notices  of  the  death  of  eleven  Baptist  ministers. 
Among  these  were  the  names  of  Rev.  Palmer  G.  Wight- 
man,  Rev.  A.  C.  Hubbard,  D.D.,  Rev.  C.  A.  Piddock 
and  Rev.  H.  M.  Wolf.  To  all  these  and  others  Brother 
Hastings  paid  deserved  and  loving  tributes. 

For  the  sake  of  ready  reference  it  has  Seen  deemed 
best  that  all  obituary  notices,  except  those  on  which  the 
Board  had  taken  special  action,  should  be  printed  in  the 
Necrology  found  in  the  appendix  to  this  volume.  In  the 
case  of  the  brethren  mentioned  above  only  the  narrow 
limits  prescribed  to  this  work  prevent  the  compiler  from 
adding  his  personal  tribute  to  these  devoted  servants  of 
Christ. 

The  Closing  Service. 

This  memorable  session  of  the  Convention,  being  its 
eighty-fourth  annual  meeting,  was  closed  with  a  sermon 
by  Rev.  W.  W.  Weeks,  D.D.,  on  the  inspiring  and 
exhaustless  theme,  "The  Finality  of  Jesus  Christ."  This 
proved  a  most  fitting  climax  to  all  the  services  of  the  Con- 
vention. 

The  Convention  closed  at  4.45  p.  m.  with  the  benedic- 
tion by  Rev.  J.  R.  Stubbert. 

The  Baptist  Social  Union. 

We  have  said  that  the  Convention  closed  at  four  forty- 
five  in  the  afternoon,  but  the  annual  meetings  of  this  body 
do  not  really  close  until  the  Baptist  Social  Union  ends. 
We  have  said  little  of  this  society,  a  society  which  since 
its  organization  in  1871,  largely  through  the  agency  of 
Hon.   James  L.   Howard  and  Dean  Francis  Wayland, 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION      237 

has  done  so  much  good  In  Its  quiet  way,  by  Its  gracious 
hospItaHty,  Its  active  Interest  In  all  that  pertains  to  the 
Kingdom,  and  especially  by  Its  fostering  care  for  the 
Convention.  The  meeting  and  pleasant  reunion  that  was 
held  on  the  evening  of  Wednesday,  October  16,  was  but 
a  fair  representative  of  all  the  previous  meetings.  But 
It  had  a  peculiar  significance  and  adeptedness  to  what  had 
gone  before.  It  prolonged  the  keynote  that  had  been 
struck  In  the  earlier  meetings  of  the  Convention,  inasmuch 
as  the  addresses  were  a  summons  to  high  and  lofty 
endeavor  in  the  service  of  Christ. 

The  President  of  the  Union,  Mr.  William  J.  Grippen 
of  Bridgeport,  did  the  honors  of  the  occasion.  After 
a  few  happy  remarks  he  introduced  as  the  first  speaker. 
Honorable  Mornay  Williams  of  New  York  City,  a  soii 
of  Rev.  Dr.  W'^.  R.  Williams  of  blessed  memory.  Mr. 
Williams  came  as  a  representative  of  the  Laymen's  For- 
ward Movement  for  Missions,  and  spoke  on  the  tneme, 
"The  Place  and  Responsibility  of  the  Laity."  He  said 
in  part: 

"Perhaps  In  a  gathering  of  Baptists  this  phrase  needs 
explanation.  W^e  have  always  held,  and  held  rightly, 
that  the  church  member  neecis  no  Intermediary  between 
himself  and  God,  for  all  believers  are  kings  and  priests 
unto  God.  The  terms  clergy  and  laity  more  properly 
belong  to  churches  differently  organized.  Yet  even  we 
have  been  too  satisfied  to  let  the  responsibility  of  carry- 
ing forward  the  work  of  the  Kingdom  rest  upon  the 
shoulders  of  ministers  and  missionaries.  After  all.  If 
we  believe  the  theoretical  statement  that  each  is  a  priest 
and  a  king,  then  you  and  I  and  every  believer  are  respons- 
ible no  whit  less  than  the  man  called  to  officiate  as  a 
minister. 

"The  Great  Commission  was  given  to  plain  men,  fisher- 
men, peasants;  on  them  was  laid  the  great  command, 
'Go  ye  into  all  the  world.'  Nineteen  centuries  have  rolled 
by,  and  the  command  has  not  been  fulfilled.  There  has 
been  no  time  when  men  have  preached  to  all  men  of  their 
day.     In  the  W'ar  Museum  in  Albany  is  a  paper  dated 


i6 


238  HISTORY  OF  THE 

'Executive  Mansion,  October  6,  1864.'  The  paper  directs 
a  Union  soldier,  then  in  prison  as  a  deserter,  to  be 
released,  and  that  he  should  join  his  regiment  in  the 
field.  Underneath  this  monument  of  the  great  Lincoln's 
mercy  is  written,  'Taken  from  the  body  of  Roswell  Mc- 
Intyre,  after  the  battle  of  Five  Forks.  Pardoned  as  a 
deserter,  he  died  a  patriot.'  The  sentence  was  passed 
on  you  and  on  me,  and  Jesus  Christ  pardoned.  The 
pardon  is  good  only  as  you  make  it  good.  Go,  give, 
believe,  do !  I  am  pleading  for  the  dying  nations.  The 
power  unused  atrophies.  The  pardon  unused  is  not 
good.  Listen  to  the  Macedonian  cry.  Help  ye  the  dying, 
lest  ye  die." 

This  powerful  apeal  to  laymen,  from  a  layman,  was 
followed  by  an  address  of  which  we  have  not  so  full  a 
report,  from  Rev.  Dr.  H.  C.  Applegarth,  the  financial 
agent  of  the  Missionary  Union: 

"Never  has  there  been  a  time  since  Jesus  Christ  went 
back  to  the  skies  when  there  was  such  an  opportunity. 
He  gave  unto  the  church,  some  pastors,  some  evangelists, 
some  ministers,  many  laity;  and  the  whole  function  of 
the  ministry  is  to  bring  up  the  laymen  to  the  point  of 
ministering. 

"When  we  get  the  vision  of  Him  sitting  upon  the 
throne,  when  Christian  laymen,  men  in  business,  are  on 
the  King's  business,  and  the  old  world  so  long  in  night 
shall  roll  out  into  the  light,  then  shall  we  realize  that  we 
have  been  redeemed  by  the  Son  of  the  King,  then  shall  we 
bring  forth  the  royal  diadem  and  crown  Him  Lord  of 
all,  and  He  shall  have  the  isles  of  the  sea  and  the  utter- 
most parts  of  the  earth  for  His  possession." 


APPENDIX 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION      241 

Appendix  A. 

NECROLOGY. 

Not  till  the  year  1844  was  there  any  record  made  in  the  minutes 
of  the  Convention  of  the  decease  of  the  pastors  of  the  state.  The 
minutes  of  the  associations  have  not  been  available  to  supply  the 
data.  Some  of  the  following  records  are  incomplete,  others  have 
been  somewhat  abridged  from  the  reports  of  the  Committee  on 
Obituaries. 

1844. 

Linsley,  Rev.  J.  H.  He  had  been  active  in  the  early  history  of 
the  Baptist  churches  of  Connecticut.  His  daughter  became  the 
wife  of  Rev.  S.  D.  Phelps,  D.D. 

1845. 

Miller,  Rev.  W .  G.  At  the  time  of  his  death  he  was  pastor 
of  the  Essex  church.  He  was  the  father  of  Rev.  Harvey  Miller, 
long  the  beloved  pastor  of  the  Meriden  church,  and  grandfather, 
through  another  son,  of  Edward  Miller,  Esq.,  of  Meriden. 

1851. 

Darroic,  Rev.  Francis.     Long  pastor  of  First  Waterford. 
Cook,  Rev.  Benaiah.     Pastor  at  Jewett  City. 
Whiting,  Rev.  Nilex.     Pastor  at  Greenville,  now  Third   Nor- 
wich. 

1856. 

Bentley,  Rev.  William.  Father  Bentley  was  one  of  the  pioneers. 
His  name  and  services  are  identified  with  the  history  of  this  Con- 
vention from  its  very  beginning.  Several  of  the  churches  trace 
their  origin  to  his  labors,  and  rarely  did  he  fail  to  attest  his  lively 
interest  in  our  work  by  his  presence  in  our  gatherings,  until  the 
pressure  of  infirmity  and  disease  laid  him  aside  from  his  work. 

Skinner,  Rev.  Ezekicl.  For  many  years  a  successful  preacher, 
physician  and  reformer,  he  finished  his  course,  leaving  behind  him 
the  bright  track  of  a  good  name  and  a  useful  life  to  cheer  and  com- 
fort those  who  sorrowed  for  his  departure. 


242  HISTORY  OF  THE 

1857. 

Miller,  Rev.  Harvey.  He  was  pastor  of  the  First  Meriden 
church.  For  many  years  he  was  a  member  of  the  Board  of 
Trustees  and  an  occupant  of  various  other  posts  of  trust  and 
honor.  "To  us  all  his  memory  is  exceedingly  precious.  The  tones 
of  his  ringing  voice,  the  light  of  his  flashing  eyes,  the  sunshine  of 
his  genial  spirit,  all  pervaded  and  endued  with  the  savor  of  his 
earnest  piety,  seem  still  to  linger  with  us  and  to  steal  subduingly 
over  our  hearts." 

Wightman,  Rev.  Frederick.  He  was  one  of  our  beloved  and 
venerated  fathers  in  the  ministry,  who  having,  during  a  long  life, 
emphatically  kept  faith,  finished  his  course  leaving  behind  him  a 
good  name. 

Fish,  Rev.  E.  P.  He  was  pastor  of  the  church  in  Haddam.  He 
had  not  been  long  in  the  ministry,  but  served  faithfully  the  full 
period  allotted  to  him. 

Smith,  Rev.  W .  S.  Pastor  at  Newtown.  He  was  one  of  the 
younger  brethren,  not  widely  known,  but  true-hearted  and  de- 
voted. 

Gilbert,  Deacon  Joseph  B.  He  was  for  four  years  the  Treas- 
urer of  the  Convention,  in  which  office  he  rendered  conspicuous 
service.  He  was  extensively  known  in  various  spheres  of  Chris- 
tian benevolence  and  civic  trust. 

1858. 

Lewes,  Rev.  Lester.  "In  the  prime  of  his  manhood,  in  the  full 
vigor  of  his  intellect,  in  the  very  height  of  his  usefulness,  blest 
with  a  physical  constitution  unusually  robust  and  giving  promise 
of  long  years  of  usefulness  in  the  ministry,  suddenly  and  in  the 
midst  of  a  precious  revival  among  his  flock  at  Middletown,  early 
in  January  last.  Brother  Lewes  was  arrested  by  an  acute  disease 
which  terminated  his  career  on  earth,  .  .  For  many  years  a 
member  of  the  Board,  one  year  holding  the  office  of  President, 
always  active  and  consecrated,  his  removal  has  left  a  void  among 
us  not  easily  filled." 

Mallory,  Rev.  Samuel  S.  He  was  formerly  a  pastor  among  us, 
and  took  an  active  part  in  our  work.  After  an  absence  of  some 
years  he  had  just  returned  to  the  state,  having  spent  a  few  weeks 
with  the  church  in  Willington,  the  field  of  his  former  settlement. 
The  divine  blessing  was  attending  his  labors,  when  he  was  quite 
suddenly  summoned  away. 

Vinton,  Justus  A.  See  record  for  the  year  in  the  doings  of  the 
Convention. 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION      24.^ 

1859. 

Wildjnan,  Rev.  Nathan.  Pastor  of  the  Plainville  church.  Bro- 
ther Wildman,  himself  the  son  of  one  of  our  Connecticut  preachers 
of  the  former  days,  had  been  in  the  ministry  of  our  state  for  thirty- 
seven  years,  in  labors  abundant,  ever  faithful  and  successful.  He 
at  different  times  occupied  various  official  stations  in  the  Conven- 
tion. He  baptized  about  eight  hundred.  At  the  annual  gathering 
for  1858  he  was  present  and  was  chosen  President  of  the  Educa- 
tion Society. 

Groiu,  Rev.  James.  Pastor  at  Thompson.  Father  Grow  was 
well  known  and  greatly  beloved,  and  though  for  some  time  laid 
aside  from  active  service  by  the  weight  of  years  and  infirmities,  he 
continued  faithful  to  the  end. 

Tillinghast,  Rev.  J.  A.  At  the  time  of  his  death  he  was  pastor 
of  the  Tolland  church.  He  was  not  widely  known,  as  his  residence 
in  the  state  had  been  brief.  He  obtained  a  good  report  in  the 
church  which  he  served,  and  his  death  was  a  sore  loss  to  that 
church.     "He  rests  from  his  labors  and  his  works  do  follow  him." 

Readj  Deacon  George.  Was  deacon  in  the  church  at  Deep 
River,  and  held  in  high  estimation.  He  was  known  through  the 
state  as  one  of  the  most  steadfast,  devoted,  and  useful  of  the 
servants  of  Christ.  Simple  and  quiet  in  his  manners,  he  was 
always  valiant  for  the  truth.  He  served  several  years  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Board,  and  one  year  as  President  of  the  Convention. 

1862. 

Knapp,  Rev.  Henry  R.  He  served  many  of  our  churches,  and 
was  known  as  a  sound  and  successful  preacher,  as  well  as  a  good 
man.  After  a  long  and  painful  illness  he  died  at  the  residence 
of  his  son  in  New  York. 

Lincoln,  Rev.  Bradford  H.     Was  pastor  of  the  church  in  Essex. 

1863. 

Jackson.  D.D.,  Rev.  Henry.  Was  formerly  pastor  of  First 
Hartford,  and  well  remembered  for  his  large  and  genial  and  lov- 
ing heart,  and  for  his  industry  and  usefulness. 

Savage,  Rev.  Edward.  He  was  for  some  time  pastor  of  the 
Bristol  church,  and  for  a  short  period  Secretary  of  the  Convention. 

1864. 

Branch,  Rev.  Nicholas.  He  was  one  of  the  veteran  ministers  in 
the  northeastern  part  of  the  state.  He  was  really  an  able  and 
excellent  man,  but  he  was  called  in  the  latter  years  of  his  life  to 


244  HISTORY  OF  THE 

endure  intense  bodily  suffering,  so  that  when  at  length  he  passed 
away  to  the  land  where  there  shall  be  no  more  any  pain,  it  was  felt 
to  be  a  blessed  release  to  him,  however  survivors  might  mourn  his 
loss. 

Robins,  Rev.  Gurdon.  Of  Hartford.  He  was  long  familiarly 
and  pleasantly  known  among  us  as  one  of  the  founders  and 
fathers  of  the  Convention,  and  was  identified  with  its  progress 
to  the  end  of  his  life.  He  was  a  sort  of  impersonation  of  Baptist 
history  and  doctrines.  He  is  remembered  with  special  interest  by 
many  of  our  younger  ministers.  He  finished  his  ministry  and  went 
to  his  rest  in  a  good  old  age. 

Peckham,  Rev.  Stephen.  For  a  long  period  he  served  the 
Ledyard  church.  Wost  esteemxd  and  beloved  where  he  was  best 
known,  he  is  deeply  lamented  through  that  region. 

Lewis.  Rev.  C.  Casson.  Was  pastor  of  the  Second  clmrch  in 
North  Stonington.  A  plain  man,  but  a  true  servant  of  the  Mas- 
ter, less  widely  known  than  some  others,  but  one  of  the  "pillars" 
of  the  church. 

Paine,  Rev.  John.  He  faithfully  served  several  of  our  churches 
in  eastern  Connecticut.  He  was  a  retiring  and  unobtrusive  man, 
but  a  sound  and  scriptural  preacher  of  the  Gospel.  He  fell  on 
sleep  at  his  home  in  Preston. 

1865. 

Shailer,  Rev.  Simon.  One  of  the  oldest  members  of  the  Con- 
vention, and  father  of  our  senior  missionary.  Naturally  strong 
and  vigorous,  both  in  body  and  mind,  and  made  spiritually  strong 
by  the  grace  of  the  Gospel,  he  "served  his  generation  by  the  will  of 
God  and  fell  asleep"  at  his  residence  in  Haddam  in  the  month  of 
August,  1865,  at  the  age  of  89.  He  is  remembered  with  much 
affection. 

1867. 

Dcnnison,  Rev.  lirastiis.  This  venerable  and  beloved  man 
of  God  entered  into  his  rest  this  year.  Throughout  eastern  Con- 
necticut he  was  most  intimately  known,  and  the  fruits  and 
memorials  of  his  labors  are  all  about  us.  Simple-hearted,  un- 
ostentatious, discreet,  devoted,  affectionate,  full  of  faith  and  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,  he  wrought  with  great  success  in  the  ministry,  and 
through  his  agency  "much  people  was  added  to  the  Lord." 

1868. 

Brockett.  Rev.  Pierpont.  He  "fell  asleep  in  Jesus"  at  his  resi- 
ence  in  Wethersfield,  April  7,  in  the  eighty-first  year  of  his  age. 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION      245 

Father  Brockett  was  widely  known  and  loved  amon}2;  the  churches 
of  the  state.  He  was  eminently  a  good  man,  a  faithful,  affec- 
tionate and  successful  minister  of  Christ,  and  he  served  on  several 
different  fields  with  fidelity  and  integrity  to  the  end. 

Steward,  Rev.  Ira  R.  The  early  years  of  his  ministry  were 
spent  in  faithful  service  in  this  state.  He  then  assumed  charge  of 
the  Mariners'  church  in  New  York  City.  He  paid  yearly  visits 
to  our  annual  gatherings  to  enlist  our  people  in  the  world-wide 
work  he  was  prosecuting  among  those  who  "go  down  to  the  sea 
in  ships."  Few  men  have  labored  more  earnestly  or  devotedly 
in  the  vinc_\ard  of  the  Lord,  and  his  memory  is  peculiarly  precious, 
both  among  the  sons  of  the  ocean  and  in  the  wide  circle  of  his 
associates  at  home. 

Chceseborouffh,  Rev.  Elihu.  He  died  in  Stonington,  April  27, 
1868,  at  the  remarkable  age  of  ninety-nine  years,  one  month  and 
two  days.  He  was  not  extensively  known  among  us,  having 
passed  the  larger  portion  of  his  life  in  close  retirement.  But  by 
those  vrho  knew  him  he  was  esteemed  and  noted  for  his  stead- 
fastness in  the  faith.  His  descendants  have  been  closely  identified 
with  the  Baptist  church  in  Stonington. 

1869. 

Warren.  Rev.  J.  He  had  retired  for  some  years  from  active 
service.  He  was  the  father  of  Rev.  J.  Warren,  pastor  of  the 
Easton  church. 

Leach,  Rev.  B.  N.  Formerly  pastor  at  Middletown,  where  the 
last  years  of  his  life  were  spent. 

1870. 

IValker,  Rev.  Levi.  He  had  been  in  the  ministry  in  his  earlier 
years.  A  good  man  and  faithful,  he  died  in  a  good  old  age  in 
Voluntown,  where  he  had  been  living  for  some  years. 

1871. 

Stone,  Rtv.  Gil/nan.  He  had  been  pastor  of  the  Easton  cluirch 
and  had  obtained  a  good  report  among  those  who  knew  him. 

Bollcs,  Deacon  James.  Of  the  First  church,  Hartford.  He 
was  a  man  of  great  simplicity  and  purity  of  character,  of  deep 
and  unaffected  piety,  and  of  unswerving  integrity.  He  so  bore 
himself  through  his  whole  life  as  to  command  the  respect  of  all 
who  knew  him.  He  was  present  at  the  meeting  of  the  Board  in 
1871.  and  pledged  $600  for  the  ensuing  year.  He  left  by  will  the 
sum  of  $10,000  to  be  invested  for  the  use  of  the  Convention. 


246  HISTORY  OF  THE 

1872. 

Tilden,  Rev.  Chester.  Formerly  pastor  of  the  Willimantic 
church.  He  did  excellent  service  in  the  early  j'ears  of  this  church, 
of  which  he  may  be  said  to  have  been  the  founder. 

Peck  ham  J  Rev.  Peleg.     Pastor  of  the  church  in  Stirling. 

1873. 

Holman,  Rev.  J.  W.  Died  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  May  16. 
Pastor  of  the  Third  church,  North  Stonington,  and  earlier  of 
First  Norwich.  He  was  a  vigorous  preacher,  strong  in  the  presen- 
tation of  doctrine,  and  best  beloved  by  those  who  knew  him  best. 

Meech,  Rev.  Levi.  He  was  born  in  North  Stonington,  Feb- 
ruary 25,  1795.  Pastor  of  the  churches  in  Bozrah,  Lebanon. 
Salem  and  Montville.  The  Lord  owned  his  ministry  and  per- 
mitted him  to  baptize  four  hundred  converts. 

Munger,  Rev.  Washington.  Born  in  Wales,  Massachusetts. 
October  13,  1800.  He  became  pastor  of  the  First  Wallingford 
church  in  1853,  and  so  continued  for  eleven  years.  It  was  in 
Waterford  that  he  died.  The  good  pleasure  of  the  Lord  prospered 
in  his  hands.  The  Lord  gave  him  grace  to  love  and  help  those 
who  followed  him  in  the  pastorate. 

Robbins,  Rev.  Austin.  Born  in  Thompson,  1812,  and  died  at 
the  age  of  61.  He  w^as  ordained  in  Uxbridge,  Massachusetts,  in 
1842.  He  had  served  in  the  ministry  in  Sanford,  Biddeford  and 
Topsham,  Maine,  in  Southboro,  Massachusetts,  and  last  in  East 
Killingly  for  six  years. 

Andrews,  Rev.  E.  Died  in  Montague,  Massachusetts.  He  had 
been  pastor  in  Eastford  and  Tolland.  He  was  a  man  of  unusual 
strength  of  mind,  and  of  fine  scholarship.  He  was  the  father  of 
Governor  and  Supreme  Court  Judge  Andrews,  and  of  E.  Benja- 
min Andrews,  for  several  years  President  of  Brown  University. 

Lejjingwell,  Rev.  Christopher.  Born  in  Bozrah  in  1803,  bap- 
tized in  1831,  ordained  in  Bozrah  in  1842.  His  work  was  given 
to  the  churches  in  Bozrah  and  Salem.  He  was  a  faithful  laborer 
on  a  field  that  brought  small  returns  bejond  what  the  Master 
gives. 

Bailey,  Rev.  Joseph  A.  He  held  an  intimate  relation  to  the 
Convention  and  its  work.  For  three  years  he  had  been  its  able, 
self-sacrificing  Secretary.  A  few  weeks  before  his  death  he  had 
been  chosen  to  the  new  position  of  Superintendent  of  Missions. 
He  was  born  in  Middletown  in  1823,  and  studied  for  the  ministry 
at  the  Wesleyan  University,  Newton,  and  Rochester  Theological 
Seminary.     He  was  pastor  of  the  Essex  church  a  few  years,  and 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION      247 

for  eighteen  years  pastor  of  the  Watcrbury  church,  where  he  did 
his  most  important  work.  He  was  highly  esteemed  and  greatly 
beloved.  With  a  vigorous  mind,  a  steadfast  faith,  and  a  well  gov- 
erned will,  he  achieved  a  decided  success  as  a  minister  of  Christ. 
His  health  being  seriously  impaired,  he  went  abroad,  and  on  the 
advice  of  physicians  proceeded  to  Carlsbad,  Bohemia,  to  avail 
himself  of  its  mineral  waters.  There  far  from  home  but  tenderly 
ministered  to  by  friends,  he  fell  on  sleep  May  11,  1873,  in  his 
fiftieth  year. 

1874. 

Bolles,  Rev.  Augustus.  His  was  the  first  name  upon  the  roll  of 
those  who  founded  the  Convention,  and  he  bore  a  leading  part  in 
all  its  doings  till  laid  aside  by  the  infirmities  of  age.  In  the  case 
of  such  a  man,  who  reached  nearly  his  century  of  years  in  extensive 
usefulness,  we  have  no  emotion  but  that  of  triumph.  As  a  man, 
as  a  follower  of  Christ,  as  a  preacher  of  the  Gospel,  and  as  a  Chris- 
tian editor,  he  was  well  known  and  highly  respected.  Clear- 
headed, warm-hearted,  gracious  in  manner,  quaint  in  speech, 
tender  and  effecti\'c  in  preaching,  he  was  attractive  to  all  who  knew 
him. 

Goff,  Rev.  M.  J .  He  was  the  beloved  pastor  of  the  Plainfield 
Union  church,  where  he  left  a  deep  impression  of  his  excellence 
as  a  preacher  of  righteousness,  which  he  exemplified  in  his  orderly 
consecrated  life.  He  was  summoned  suddenly,  in  the  morning  of 
his  days,  for  higher  service. 

Plant.  Mr.  A.  P.  Along  with  his  brother,  Mr.  Plant  had  been 
instrumental  in  building  up  the  Second  church  in  the  town  of 
Southington,  known  as  the  Plantsville  church.  To  this  he  was  a 
large  contributor,  and  was  very  active  in  church  work,  particularly 
in  the  Sunday-school. 

1875. 

Avery,  Rev.  David.  He  was  born  in  Preston  in  1800.  He  was 
fifty  years  in  the  ministry,  the  first  seven  of  which  he  spent  in  the 
Methodist  church.  He  was  pastor  in  Andover,  and  in  South 
Center  Ashford.  He  always  enjoyed  the  confidence  and  esteem 
of  his  brethren. 

Gates,  Rev.  Alfred.  Born  in  East  Granville,  Massachusetts, 
September,  1803.  He  was  ordained  in  Willimantic  in  1831,  and 
was  pastor  of  ten  churches  in  this  state.  He  was  a  good  man  and 
an  earnest  preacher,  alwa3's  laboring  for  the  peace  of  Zion. 

Gorham,  Rev.  George  IV.  Baptized  into  the  First  church, 
New  Haven,  in  1838.    The  most  of  his  ministerial  life  was  spent 


248  HISTORY  OF  THE 

within  the  bounds  of  the  New  Haven  Association.  He  was  a 
good  man  and  a  devout  servant  of  Jesus  Christ.  In  great  bodily 
weakness  he  held  on,  and  labored  on.  His  last  hours  bore  testi- 
mony of  Christ's  nearness  to  him,  and  his  last  prayer  was  for  the 
growth  of  the  church. 

1876. 

Cushmnn,  Rev.  Elisha.     See  records  for  the  year. 

Grisu'old,  Wareham.     See  records  for  the  year. 

Ives,  Rev.  Dr.  Divight.  Died  in  Conway,  Massachusetts.  He 
had  been  pastor  for  many  years  of  the  Second  Suffield  church.  He 
won  the  highest  respect  and  love  of  the  brethren  by  his  noble  char- 
acter, by  his  earnest  cooperation  with  the  Board  for  thirty-five 
jears,  and  by  that  rare  discrimination  and  energy  which  made  him 
one  of  the  leaders  in  the  counsels  and  labors  of  our  Connecticut 
Zion. 

Foster,  D.D.,  Rev.  N.  P.  Died  May  8,  1876,  aged  62.  He 
was  born  February  10,  1814,  in  Fitzwilliam,  New  Hampshire, 
ap.d  graduated  at  Dartmouth  College  at  the  age  of  nineteen.  He 
was  pastor  at  Cornish,  New  Hampshire,  at  East  Stoughton, 
Massachusetts,  at  Burlington  and  at  Montpelier,  Vermont,  and  for 
eight  years  in  First  Baptist,  New  London.  His  pastorate  was 
prosperous  and  his  memory  precious. 

Barroivs,  Rev.  Sylvester.  Died  March  9,  1876,  aged  84.  He 
was  like  Barnabas,  a  good  man,  full  of  faith  and  of  the  Holy 
Ghost.  He  was  born  within  the  limits  of  the  Ashford  Association, 
and  with  a  brief  exception  his  ministerial  work  was  done  among 
the  churches  of  that  association.  Nature  and  grace  qualified  him 
for  his  life's  work,  and  diligence  and  perseverance  amply  supplied 
the  lack  of  early  education.  The  churches  in  which  he  labored  all 
spoke  well  of  him. 

1877. 

Turnhull,  D.D..  Rev.  Robert.     See  records  for  the  year. 

1878. 

Whitinfi,  Rev.  S.  M.  In  every  position  which  he  occupied  he 
was  an  acceptable  and  successful  worker.  As  a  missionary  in 
Assam  during  eleven  years  he  was  useful  as  preacher,  teacher  and 
translator  of  the  Scriptures.  He  was  known  as  a  scholar  of 
superior  attainments,  and  was  loved  as  a  genial  friend.  His  latest 
service  was  as  pastor  of  the  new  interest  in  Grand  Avenue  church, 
New  Haven. 

Denison.  Rev.  M'i/luini.  As  a  man  his  genial  presence  and  con- 
spicuous piety  endeared  him  to  a  large  circle  of  acquaintances.     As 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION      249 

a  preacher  his  talents  made  him  welcome  and  useful  in  various 
churches.  He  was  for  manj-  years  State  Missionary,  and  died 
beloved  and  honored  as  pastor  of  the  First  church,  Waterford. 

Biddlc,  Rev.  William.  In  several  pastorates  in  the  state,  and  in 
much  occasional  labor  for  the  cause  of  Christ,  he  commended  him- 
self during;  a  long  life  to  the  respect  and  love  of  many. 

Morgcin,  Rev.  Ifilliam  D.  He  was  the  beloved  pastor  of  the 
Third  church.  North  Stonington,  and  was  suddenly  called  away  in 
the  full  vigor  of  early  manhood.  He  was  a  resident  of  our  state 
only  a  few  years. 

1879. 

Shailcr,  Rev.  N.  E.  Elder  Shailer,  for  so  the  people  who  loved 
him  always  called  him,  had  good  report  of  all  men.  It  was  both 
the  glory  and  the  blessing  of  the  Convention  that  God  raised  up 
such  a  man  to  toil  for  the  little  churches.  For  over  thirty  years 
he  patiently  and  faithfully  served  as  missionary  and  his  praise  is  in 
all  the  churches. 

Bronson,  Rev.  Samuel  J.  He  was  born  in  the  town  of  Dan- 
bury.  He  was  of  a  preaching  stock.  His  father  had  been  a 
preacher,  so  were  four  of  his  brothers.  The  name  was  a  household 
word  in  all  the  Baptist  families.  His  last  service  as  pastor  was 
given  to  the  church  in  West  Woodstock. 

Raymond,  Rev.  E.  S.  When  his  fatal  sickness  attacked  him  he 
was  pastor  at  New  Canaan.  He  had  helped  the  beginnings  of  sev- 
eral other  churches.  He  was  a  true  and  faithful  servant  and  died 
at  a  good  old  age  "still  in  the  harness." 

1880. 

Davies,  Rev.  John.  No  death  had  occurred  for  many  years, 
save  that  of  Dr.  Turnbull,  that  had  touched  all  points  of  the  state 
work  as  did  that  of  John  Davies.  His  long  and  successful  pastor- 
ates in  South  Norwalk  and  Norwich  had  brought  him  into  S3'm- 
pathy  with  all  parts  of  the  state.  At  the  time  of  his  death  he  was 
Vice-President  of  the  Convention,  a  member  of  the  Executive 
/I!ommittee,  and  President  of  the  Education  Society.  His  death 
occurred  in  Birmingham,  England,  whither  he  had  gone  in  pur- 
suit of  health.  It  was  the  city  of  his  youth  and  of  his  early  min- 
istry. While  preaching,  in  his  former  pulpit,  on  the  immortality 
of  the  soul  he  was  stricken  down  in  a  moment,  and  carried  thence 
never  to  return.     It  was  on  April  19,  1880. 

Rising,  Rev.  M.  H.  He  had  been  living  many  years  in  Nor- 
wich.    The  greater  part  of  his  mature  life  was  spent  in  confine- 


250  HISTORY  OF  THE 

ment  and  suffering.     Like  Job,  he  "maintained  his  integrity."    We 
rejoice  with  him  that  he  has  entered  into  rest. 

Knowlton,  Rev.  Farnham.  A  man  full  of  j^ears  and  of  faith. 
He  was  one  of  our  most  efficient  missionary  pastors,  loved  and 
revered  by  all  who  knew  him. 

1881. 

Staples,  Rev.  W.  W .  He  was  a  young  man  full  of  promise, 
just  on  the  threshold  of  life.  Pastor  of  Third  North  Stonington. 
Although  the  bright  prospect  of  his  consecrated  life  seems  to  have 
been  untimely  cut  off,  we  feel  that  the  Head  of  the  church 
knows  best  and  we  bow  to  His  will. 

Hill,  Rev.  Dr.  Benjamin.  He  died  old  and  full  of  days.  In 
his  early  years  he  was  actively  engaged  in  the  Master's  work  when 
our  Baptist  Zion  had  few  workers  so  well  equipped  as  he.  He 
held  the  pastorate  of  the  First  New  Haven  church  for  several 
years,  wisely  laying  its  foundations  as  a  good  master-builder.  He 
was  called  to  the  larger  service  of  the  American  Baptist  Home 
Mission  Society  when  his  work  was  of  the  utmost  value. 

1882. 

Gage,  Rev.  Leonard.  Died  at  the  advanced  age  of  94.  A  ven- 
erable and  beloved  servant  of  God  in  the  Baptist  ministry.  He 
had  served  several  churches  in  the  state.  His  death  occurred  in 
Southbridge,  Massachusetts,  at  the  home  of  his  daughter.  He 
loved  the  work  of  the  ministry,  and  was  a  faithful  and  earnest 
preacher. 

Wright,  Rev.  David.  He  died  at  the  age  of  94.  He  did  much 
domestic  mission  work  both  in  Connecticut  and  in  Massachusetts. 
His  children  and  grandchildren  entered  the  ministry.  He  died  at 
Essex,  venerated  and  cared  for  by  his  children  and  theirs. 

Atkins.  Rev.  Irenus.  Was  born  in  Southington,  where  he  min- 
istered for  twelve  years.  His  longest  pastorate  was  in  Bristol.  He 
had  entered  his  nintieth  year  when  called  home.  He  was  a 
pillar  of  Bible  doctrine,,  and  a  winner  of  souls. 

Fletcher,  Rev.  Joshua.  Died  aged  78.  He  had  served  several 
churches,  one  of  which  was  Southington. 

Hart,  Rev.  Lucius  P.  He  died  in  Bristol  in  his  sixty-first  year. 
He  was  a  laborer  for  the  Gospel  in  humble  fields,  and  knew  much 
of  the  hardship  of  a  minister's  life,  Norfolk,  Canaan,  Cornwall 
and  Bantam  Falls  were  some  of  the  churches  he  served.  "There 
are  first  that  shall  be  last,  and  last  that  shall  be  first." 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION      251 

1883. 

Bronson.  Rev.  Asa  C.  He  had  been  pastor  in  Mystic  River, 
Wallingford  and  Lebanon.  His  work  everywhere  was  good  and 
abiding.  He  was  one  of  a  family  of  ministers,  the  father  and 
five  sons.  In  this  year  lie  followed  his  father  and  his  brother 
Samuel  to  obtain   the  faithful  shepherd's  unfading  crown. 

1884. 

Keency,  Rev.  Curtis.  From  the  time  of  his  conversion  and  first 
sermon  to  his  death  he  was  a  faithful  and  laborious  minister.  He 
had  only  a  common  school  education,  and  was  intensely  plain  in 
speech  and  manner,  but  a  man  of  deep  religious  experience,  of 
clear,  distinct  theological  thought,  and  of  positive  convictions. 
Through  his  ministry  "much  people  was  added  to  the  Lord." 

Doicling,  Rev.  Thomas.  He  came  to  this  country  from  Eng- 
land in  the  early  part  of  his  life  and  ministry.  He  was  a  man  of 
more  than  ordinary  culture  and  ability,  a  good  classical  scholar, 
a  profound  thinker,  and  an  instructive  preacher.  His  style  and 
manner  of  delivery  were  not  attractive,  hence  his  ministry  was 
confined  to  our  smaller  country  towns.  We  had  in  the  state  few- 
stronger  men,  and  none  better,  than  Thomas  Dowling. 

Burleigh,  Rev.  Lucian.  He  had  a  good  English  and  classical 
education,  a  clear,  logical  mind,  poetical  imagination,  and  great 
versatility  of  adaptation  to  the  changing  phases  of  his  exceedingly 
diversified  labors.  He  was  sound  in  the  faith,  a  good  preacher, 
and  above  all  a  genial  Christian  and  fellow  laborer  in  the  king- 
dom and  patience  of  Jesus  Christ. 

1885. 

Ketchuni,  Rev.  Frederick.  Died  in  Havana,  Illinois.  Had 
been  pastor  of  the  Winthrop  and  of  the  Second  New-  Haven 
churches. 

Martin,  Rev.  Orra.  Died  in  Wisconsin,  July  14,  1885,  in  the 
ninety-fifth  year  of  his  age.  He  was  ordained  in  Bristol  in  this 
state  in  1817. 

Swan,  Rev.  Jabez  S.  He  passed  away  in  peace  November  19, 
1 884,  in  the  eighty-fifth  year  of  his  age.  At  the  age  of  twenty-one 
he  enlisted  as  a  soldier  in  the  army  of  the  Lord.  He  prosecuted 
his  studies  at  Hamilton,  N.  Y.,  and  was  ordained  in  Stonington 
in  1827.  He  was  pastor  at  Preston,  First  and  Huntington  Street, 
New  London  and  Waterford.  He  also  served  two  or  three 
churches  in  the  state  of  New  York.  He  was  for  some  years  in 
tlie  service  of  the  Convention  as  an  evangelist.     A  man  of  much 


252  HISTORY  OF  THE 

prayer,  mighty  in  the  Scriptures,  fearless  in  denunciation  of  sin, 
bold  in  attacking  error,  tireless  in  labor,  yet  tender  and  sym- 
pathetic, genial  in  social  intercourse,  and  beloved  of  all. 

Bollard,  Rev.  Joseph.  Died  in  Norwalk,  November  13,  1884. 
He  was  known  in  this  state,  not  so  much  as  a  pastor,  but  as  an 
agent  of  the  Publication  Society,  and  connected  with  the  religious 
press.  An  able  preacher  and  sound  in  the  faith,  he  passed  away  in 
a  good  old  age. 

Willet,  Rev.  Charles.  Died  in  SuflReld,  May  3,  1885.  Licensed 
in  June,  1838,  ordained  at  Tariffville  in  November  of  the  sam.e 
year.  Pastor  in  Southwick,  Massachusetts,  Central  Thompson, 
Putnam,  New  London  and  Sufneld,  in  this  state.  His  apprehension 
of  Bible  truth  was  strong,  and  his  preaching  clear  and  forcible. 
He  baptized  many  converts  and  strengthened  all  the  churches  he 
served. 

Rawsoti,  Rev.  Otis  B.  Died  at  North  Lyme,,  August  24,  1885, 
at  the  age  of  49.  Entered  the  ministry  in  Bethel,  Maine,  in  1876. 
Held  pastorates  in  Connecticut,  in  Packerville  and  North  Lyme. 
He  was  a  careful  student  and  earnest  preacher.  His  was  a 
beautiful  Christian  life,  and  he  v^^as  early  called  to  his  reward. 

1886. 

Tejft.  Rev.  Alfred  B.  Died  in  Mansfield,  aged  65  years.  He 
had  been  pastor  in  Voluntown,  Chesterfield  and  at  Waterford 
for  nineteen  years,  and  had  begun  labor  in  Spring  Hill.  His 
preaching  was  scriptural  and  instructive. 

Shailer,  Rev.  Davis  T.  Died  at  his  home  in  Haddam  at  the 
age  of  84.  He  studied  theology  at  Newton,  and  gathered  the 
church  at  Branford,  where  he  stayed  eight  years.  After  serving  in 
other  states  for  fourteen  years  he  returned  to  this  state,  and  was 
pastor  for  eight  ^ears  in  Haddam,  his  native  town. 

Gregory,  Rev.  Alvah.  He  died  in  Easton,  April  1,  1886,  in 
the  eightieth  year  of  his  age.  He  was  born  in  Easton,  where  also 
he  lived  the  greater  part  of  his  life.  He  was  ordained  as  pastor  in 
Willimantic.  and  stayed  there  three  years.  At  the  formation  of 
the  Stepney  church  he  went  to  that  place  to  aid  the  new  interest. 
On  account  of  ill-health  he  did  not  again  assume  a  pastorate.  He 
was  a  staunch  friend  and  helper  of  the  pastors,  a  "succorer  of 
many,"  esteemed  and  revered  of  all  who  knew  him. 

Webb,  D.D.,  Rev.  Greenleaf  S.  He  had  been  pastor  at  Stam- 
ford five  years.  He  served  many  years  in  New  Brunswick,  New 
Jersey,  where  he  died  at  the  advanced  age  of  98. 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION      253 

Chaplinj  D.D.,  Rev.  Jeremiah.  He  had  been  pastor  in  Nor- 
walk,  and  achie\  ed  distinction  in  the  ministry  in  other  states. 
He  died  in  Utrecht,  Long  Island,  in  his  seventj^-third  year. 

Illslcy,  Rev.  Silas.  Pastor  tor  some  years  in  Essex.  Most  of 
his  ministry  was  passed  in  New  York  state,  at  Albion,  Brooklyn 
and   Syracuse,   where  he  died. 

Maine,  Rev.  Ralph  H.  Pastor  at  Tariffville,  Winthrop, 
Bloomfield  and  Plainville.  Died  in  V^ineland,  New  Jersey,  in  his 
seventv-fifth  year. 

1887. 

Benedict,  Rev.  Thomas.  Born  in  Massachusetts  in  1803.  Died 
at  North  Colebrook,  March  9,  1887.  He  was  ordained  in  Tor- 
rington,  Newfield  Society,  in  1836.  He  preached  there  more  than 
twelve  years,  and  was  afterwards  pastor  in  West  Stockbridge, 
Massachusetts. 

Houard,  Rev.  Amasa.  Born  in  Woodstock,  1832.  Died  in 
Wethersfield,  1887.  Engaged  in  mission  work,  first  in  Boston, 
then  in  Hartford.  He  was  pastor  of  the  Third  Providence 
church,  and  then  of  Washington  Avenue,  Hartford.  His  last 
labors  were  as  chaplain  of  Wethersfield  prison,  where  his  quiet 
perception  of  character,  ready  sj'mpathy,  and  genial  nature  fitted 
him  to  do  good  service  for  the  Master  among  the  inmates  of  that 
institution. 

Judd,  Rev.  Truman  O.  Born  in  Naugatuck,  1810;  died  in 
Montowese,  July  21,  1887.  He  was  twice  pastor  in  Montowese ; 
also  served  in  East  Lyme,  Canton  and  Plainville,  besides  several 
churches  in  Massachusetts,  Pennsylvania  and  New  York. 

Pendleton,  Rev.  George  W .  Born  in  Westerly,  Rhode  Island, 
1821  ;  died  in  Rahvray,  New  Jersey.  He  v/as  pastor  in  Colchester 
and  Poquonoc  Bridge.  He  also  held  par.tcrates  in  JacksonviHe, 
Illinois  and  Railway,  New  Jersey.  He  was  quiet,  retiring,  pos- 
sessed of  scholarly  tastes  and  esteemed  for  his  devoted  piety. 

Hicki,  Rev.  Be/a.  Died  in  Sandwich,  Illinois,  ninety  years  old. 
He  was  pastot  m  Pomf:n.*,  Thompson,  Stafford,  West  Wood- 
stock and  Mansfield.  He  was  a  strong  and  zealous  preacher  and 
revivals  followed  his  labors.  He  left  the  state  thirty-five  years 
before  his  death. 

Ellis,  Rev.  Harmon.  He  died  in  Marshall,  Wisconsin,  January 
28,  1887,  in  his  eighty-fifth  year.  He  was  pastor  in  Winthrop, 
North  Haven,  Stratford,  Canton  and  Norwalk.  He  did  much 
pioneer  work  in  Wisconsin. 

Walker,  Rev.  fVilliam  C.     See  records  for  this  year. 

Potter,  Honorable  William  H.     Died  March  28,  1887,  in  his 

17 


254  HISTORY  OF  THE 

seventy-first  year.  He  was  honored  and  beloved  for  his  integrity 
and  piety.  For  some  years  he  was  Statistical  Secretary  oi  the 
Convention.  No  other  man  was  so  well  acquainted  with  our 
denominational  history  in  this  state.  His  "Pen  Portraits  of  Bap- 
tist Pioneers,"  published  in  the  Christian  Secretary^  are  valuable 
historical  papers. 

1888. 

Mattheii'son.  Rev.  Percival.  Died  in  Woodstock,  February 
27,  1888,  aged  74.  His  ministry  had  been  mostly  confined  to 
churches  within  the  Ashford  Association.  His  record  is  most 
excellent.  The  later  years  of  his  life  were  spent  in  Woodstock, 
where  he  was  a  most  useful  helper  to  the  pastors. 

Jennings,  Rev.  Russell.  Born  in  Groton,  February  12,  1800. 
Died  in  Deep  River,  March  8,  1888.  He  was  a  graduate  of 
Madison  University  and  Newton  Theological  Seminary.  He 
was  pastor  at  Winthrop,  Meriden,  Waterbury,  Norwich  and 
Deep  River.  In  1885  he  engaged  in  business,  and  greatly  pros- 
pered. His  charity  grew  with  his  increasing  income.  He  liberally 
endowed  several  churches  and  gave  large  sums  to  the  building  of 
chapels  and  parsonages.  He  was  quite  a  scholar,  especially  in  the 
Greek  Testament.  His  last  thoughts  were  for  the  welfare  of  the 
churches. 

Lockwood.  Mr.  James.     See  records  for  this  year. 

1889. 

Mattisfjn,  Rev.  N.  Jf.  Died  in  Preston,  November  11,  1880,  in 
the  seventy-ninth  year  of  his  age.  Served  as  pastor  in  Preston 
City,  Colchester  and  North  Lyme.  Laid  aside  by  ill-health  for 
many  years,  he  ministered  occasionally  as  supply  to  \arious 
churches. 

Perkins.  Rev.  Stephen.  Pastor  of  Second  Waterford.  He  died 
November  11,  1888,  in  his  sixty-third  year.  He  was  ordained  in 
1870,  and  served  the  churches  in  Ledyard,  Poquonoc  and  Lake's 
Pond.     Modest  and  retiring,  he  was  a  man  of  sterling  worth. 

Joy,  Rev.  F.  B.  Died  in  New  York.  March  11,  1889,  in  his 
sixty-seventh  year.  He  was  pastor  in  Preston.  Montowese,  Moos- 
up  and  South  Windsor.  In  early  life  he  followed  the  sea,  and  he 
had  the  generosity  and  frankness  of  a  true-bred  sailor.  He  had 
only  lust  entered  upon  this  his  last  pastorate. 

Wakemon,  Rev.  Levi  H.  Died  at  Stamford,  April  21,  1889, 
in  his  seventy-third  year.  He  was  pastor  in  Westfield,  East  Had- 
dam.  Stepney,  West  Woodstock,  Willington  and  New  Hartford. 
He  also  served  two  churches  in  Massachusetts. 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION      255 

Burnett,  Rev.  Joseph.  Died  June  15,  1889,  at  Braman's 
Corner,  New  York,  aged  seventy  years.  He  was  pastor  in  Old 
Lyme,  Tariffville.,  Wethersfield  and  New  Hartford.  He  was 
an  ardent  lover  of  books  and  his  knowledge  of  them  was  remark- 
able.    His  preaching  was  simple  and  evangelical. 

1890. 

Purinton,  Rev.  L.  M.  Born  in  Rensselaerville,  New  York,  in 
1826.  It  was  there  that  he  began  his  work  as  pastor.  He  served 
three  other  churches  in  that  state.  For  six  years  he  was  pastor 
of  First  Waterford  church,  where  his  work  was  much  blessed. 
Over  one  hundred  were  baptized  into  that  church  as  the  fruit  of 
a  single  revival.  He  loved  the  truths  of  God,  and  held  fast  to 
them. 

Gilbert,  Rev.  Isaac  H.  Born  in  Stepney  in  1830.  Died  in 
Chicopee  Falls,  Massachusetts,  February  13,  1890.  He  was  or- 
dained pastor  in  Bristol  in  1856,  where  he  continued  till  April, 
1863.  He  was  then  pastor  in  Middletown  till  1870.  He  had  four 
pastorates  in  Massachusetts.  A  man  of  devout  piety  and  earnest 
in  his  labors. 

Hopper.  Rev.  B.  McGregor.  Died  in  Utica,  New  York, 
November  19,  1889.  Ordained  as  pastor  of  the  Academy  Street 
church.  New  Haven.  He  served  the  First  church,  Bridgeport, 
for  many  years,  and  as  pastor  in  churches  in  Massachusetts,  New 
York  and  Pennsylvania.     He  died  in  the  sixty-eighth  year  of  his 

:ige- 

Morgan,  Captain  Ebenezer.  Died  in  Groton,  August  11,  1890, 
having  reached  the  age  of  seventy-nine.  Bred  a  seaman,  he  carried 
into  his  religious  life  the  same  restless  energy  which  characterized 
him  as  captain  of  a  whaling  ship.  He  was  a  liberal  contributor 
to  missions  at  home  and  abroad,  and  a  ready  helper  in  any  revival 
work. 

Taylor,  Rev.  David  Henry.  Born  in  New  Brunswick,  1847. 
Died  in  Newtonville,  Massachusetts,  December  10,  1890.  He 
studied  at  Suffield,  and  at  Brown  University  and  Rochester  Theo- 
logical Seminary.  He  was  pastor  at  Salem  and  Jamaica  Plain, 
Massachusetts,  and  at  Central  church,  Norwich,  from  188o  to 
1889.  His  last  pastorate  was  with  a  Congregational  church  in 
Newtonville,  Massachusetts.  With  a  strong  and  yet  tender  and 
poetic  nature  he  combined  unusual  literary  and  preaching  ability, 
and  was  emphatically  one  of  Christ's  noblemen. 

Miller,  Rev.  E.  C.  He  was  born  in  Canada,  where  also  he  was 
educated,  ordained,   and  had  his  first   pastorate.      He   was  pastor 


256  HISTORY  OF  THE 

at  Poquonoc  Bridge  for  six  years,  and  at  Plainville  for  the  same 
period.  In  October,  1889,  he  began  his  pastorate  at  South  Wind- 
sor, but  it  was  soon  terminated  by  his  death,  November  1,  1890. 
His  was  a  life  of  faith  and  earnest  service. 

1891. 

Gates,  Rev.  Oliver  W .  Born  in  Preston  in  1830.  He  studied 
at  Suffield  and  at  Madison  University  and  Hamilton  Theological 
Seminary,  and  was  ordained  at  Greenville,  where  he  labored  three 
years.  He  was  pastor  in  Norwalk  for  twelve  years,  and  then 
took  a  pastorate  in  San  Diego,  California.  He  was  a  devout 
Christian  disciple  and  a  faithful  preacher  of  the  Word.  He  died 
at  Southern  Pines,  North  Carolina,  April  4,  1891. 

Jerome,  Rev.  Edward  M.  Died  in  New  Haven,  June  8,  1891. 
He  was  a  graduate  of  Yale  College  and  of  Yale  Law  School.  His 
early  church  relationship  was  with  the  Congregationalists.  He 
joined  the  First  Baptist  church  in  Hartford  in  1856.  He  was 
ordained  in  Holyoke,  Massachusetts,  and  held  pastorates  in 
Northampton  and  Westfield  in  that  state.  He  was  pastor  in 
West  Meriden  and  Ansonia  in  this  state.  A  bronchial  trouble 
precluded  his  preaching  during  the  later  years  of  his  life,  and  he 
devoted  himself  to  journalism. 

Pahner,  D.D.,  Rev.  Albert  G.  Died  June  30,  1891,  in  his 
seventy-ninth  year.  He  was  converted  when  ten  years  old  and 
began  to  preach  when  seventeen.  He  came  to  manhood  self- 
educated,  and  was  ordained  in  Westerly,  Rhode  Island,  in  1837. 
He  was  pastor  there  six  years,  then  at  Stonington  nine  years.  After 
short  pastorates  in  Syracuse,  New  York,  Bridgeport,  Connecticut, 
and  Wakefield,  Rhode  Island,  he  returned  to  Stonington 
where  he  labored  for  almost  thirty  years.  He  was  an  evangelical 
preacher,  a  comforter  to  the  afflicted,  deeply  interested  in  all  mis- 
sion work,  and  a  poet,  whose  graceful  verse  has  commemorated  the 
labors  and  virtues  of  many  a  servant  of  God. 

Weaver,  Rev.  Charles  S.  Died  in  Voluntown,  September  8, 
1891,  in  the  eighty-ninth  year  of  his  age.  He  was  pastor  in 
Noank,  Suffield,  and  twenty  years  in  Voluntown. 

Denison,  Rev.  Albert  E.  Died  in  Plainville,  October  6,  1891. 
He  was  born  in  Saybrook  and  graduated  at  Brown  University. 
He  was  pastor  in  Saybrook,  Wallingford,  Clinton  and  Plainville. 
In  1878  he  retired  from  active  labors.  He  was  a  promoter  of 
education,  of  a  cheerful  disposition,  and  created  an  atmosphere  of. 
sunshine  wherever  he  went. 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION      257 

1892. 

Smith,  Rev.  Henry  G.  Died  suddenly  in  Bloomfield,  January 
10,  1892.  He  was  born  in  East  Haven,  and  united  in  early  life 
with  the  church  in  Branford.  He  studied  in  Suffield  Academy, 
and  began  pastoral  work  in  Wethersfield.  In  May,  1878,  he 
became  pastor  of  the  East  Cornwall  church,  where  he  labored 
four  years,  extending  his  labors  to  Bantam  and  Cornwall  Hollow. 
He  also  had  pastorates  in  Bloomfield  and  West  Hartford.  His 
last  5'ears  of  service  were  devoted  to  temperance.  He  was  an 
indefatigable  worker,  firm  in  his  convictions,  and  loyal  to  the 
Master. 

Lovell,  Rev.  Andreiu  S.  Died  in  Andover,  January  20,  1892, 
at  the  age  of  84.  He  was  six  years  associate  principal  in  Suffield. 
He  was  pastor  in  Mansfield,  Bloomfield  and  Tariff\Mlle.  A 
scholarly  man,,  and  a  good  man. 

Chapman,  Rev.  D.  F.  Died  in  North  Stonington,  September 
23.  1892.  He  followed  the  sea  for  many  years.  When  forty- 
five  years  old  he  entered  the  ministry.  He  was  pastor  in  East 
Lyme,  Rainbow,  Brookfield,  Cornwall  and  North  Stonington.  He 
was  a  man  of  marked  native  ability,  and  an  excellent  pastor. 

Bronson,  D.D..  Rev.  B.  Franklin.  He  died  in  Ithaca,  New 
York,  October  23,  1892,  at  the  age  of  70.  His  father  was  Rev. 
Asa  Bronson,  and  he  was  one  of  five  brothers  w^ho  were  preachers. 
For  ten  years  he  was  pastor  at  Putnam. 

Reid,  Rev.  William.  He  was  born  in  Scotland.  He  was  ordained 
in  East  Windsor.  He  was  pastor  at  Wethersfield,  Tariflfville, 
Bridgeport  nine  years,  and  First  New  London  eight  years.  His 
subsequent  ministry  was  in  New  York  and  Brooklj'^n.  He  died 
in  his  eighty-first  year. 

1893. 

IFatrous.  Rev.  E.  Hayden.  Died  November  5,  1892,  at  Deep 
River,  at  the  age  of  sixty-two.  He  studied  at  Suffield,  and  was 
pastor  in  Colchester.  He  served  churches  in  Rhode  Island,  New 
Hampshire,  Vermont  and  Massachusetts. 

Garner,  Rev.  William  V.  Born  in  Wales.  He  died  suddenly 
In  Bridgeport,  having  had  pastorates  in  Binghamton,  New  York, 
St.  John,  New  Brunswick,  Boston,  ^Massachusetts,  and  Concord, 
New  Hampshire.  He  was  pastor  at  First  Bridgeport  for  seven 
j-ears.  He  was  an  able  preacher,  a  faithful  pastor,  and  a  noble 
Christian. 

Miner,  Rev.  Noyes  IV.  Died  at  Paterson,  New  Jersey,  seven- 
ty-one years  of   age.      He      was  born    in   Stonington,   March   10, 


258  HISTORY  OF  THE 

1822.  He  studied  at  Suffield,  Trinity  College,  Hartford,  and 
in  Newton  Theological  Seminary.  He  was  pastor  for  three  years 
in  Longmeadow,  Massachusetts,  and  three  years  in  Lebanon.  His 
longest  pastorate  \vas  one  of  fourteen  years  in  Springfield,  Illinois. 
Here  he  formed  an  intimate  friendship  with  President  Lincoln. 
After  several  other  pastorates  he  served  for  eight  years  as  Cor- 
responding Secretary  of  the  Ministers'  Home  Society. 

McGonegalj  Rev.  Robert.  Died  at  Norwalk,  December  4, 
1892,  eighty  years  of  age.  He  had  formerly  served  at  Deep 
River  and  Norwalk,  but  had  retired  from  active  work. 

1894. 

Callen,  Rev.  Charles  G.  An  Englishman  by  birth  and  educa- 
tion, he  performed  his  first  pastoral  service  in  that  country.  After 
preaching  a  few  years  on  Long  Island,  he  assumed  the  charge  of 
the  Rowayton  church  in  1891.  He  was  a  man  of  zeal  and  rare 
good  judgment. 

Darrow,  Rev.  Allen.  He  was  baptized  in  Waterford  in  1817, 
Avhen  fourteen  years  old.  He  was  ordained  in  the  state  of  Ohio, 
where  he  had  several  pastorates.  Returning  to  this  state,  he  was 
employed  for  some  j'ears  as  missionary  by  the  Convention.  He 
was  pastor  in  Waterbury  and  Putnam.  The  last  years  of  his 
life  were  spent  upon  his  farm  in  Waterford.  He  rested  from  his 
labors  in  May,  1894,  aged  ninety-one  years. 

Gale,  Rev.  Solomon.  Died  in  Mystic,  August  4,  at  the  age  of 
84.  He  began  his  ministry  in  Putnam  in  1847.  He  was  also 
pastor  at  Cornwall,  Tolland  and  Baltic.  He  was  stated  supply 
in  Third  Stonington  for  eleven  years,  rounding  out  fifty  years 
in  the  ministry,  during  which  he  baptized  over  five  hundred  con- 
verts. 

Torrey,  Rev.  Charles  E.  Died  April  1,  1894,  at  Riverside. 
California.  He  was  formerly  pastor  at  Norwalk  church.  His 
was  a  brief  but  fruitful  ministry. 

Crofut,  Mr.  A.  J.  He  was  a  leading  la)'man  of  high  standing 
and  usefulness  in  the  church  of  which  he  was  a  member  in  South 
Norwalk.  He  was  known  for  many  years  as  an  upright,  success- 
ful manufacturer,  while  in  his  home  he  exemplified  every  domestic 
virtue.  Three  times  he  represented  the  town  in  the  state  legis- 
lature. He  was  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Directors,  and  a  liberal 
supporter  of  our  Convention.  Within  three  weeks  of  his  death 
he  had  spent  a  day  in  the  company  of  Rev.  C.  L.  Rhodes  and  the 
Secretary  inquiring  into  the  possibilities  of  establishing  a  church 
in  Greenwich. 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION      259 
1895. 

Lyon.  Rev.  D.  D.  Died  in  Montville,  February  14,  1895,  at 
the  age  of  81.  He  was  a  pioneer  and  organizer  of  churches.  From 
his  earh'^  youth  to  mature  age  he  was  wise  in  counsel,  sound  in 
judgment,  and  a  man  of  lovable  nature, — a  man  of  God. 

Graves,  D.D.,  Rev.  Samuel.  He  was  the  successful  and  highly 
honored  pastor  for  ten  years  of  the  Central  church,  Norwich,  a 
fine  scholar,  and  earnest  preacher.  He  died  in  Grand  Rapids, 
Michigan,  January  17,  1895. 

Walker,  Rev.  Orrin  T.  Born  in  Preston  in  1822.  Died  Sep- 
tember 9,  1895,  in  his  seventy-fourth  year.  His  father  was  a  min- 
ister, as  was  also  his  brother.  Rev.  W.  C.  Walker.  He  was  pastor 
in  Meriden  for  some  years,  but  served  longer  and  was  better 
known  in  Massachusetts. 

1896. 

Phelps,  D.D.,  Rev.  S.  Dryden.  He  was  a  spiritual,  scriptural 
and  edifying  preacher.  He  was  always  present  at  our  gatherings. 
At  the  last  meeting  before  his  death  he  recalled  the  memories  of 
fifty  years  gone  by.  For  many  of  these  years  he  had  been  on  the 
Board,  and  on  the  Executive  Committee.  For  over  twenty-five 
years  he  had  been  pastor  of  the  First  New  Haven  church,  and  he 
was  afterward  editor  of  the  Christian  Secretary.  Several  of  the 
hymns  he  composed  are  favorites  in  our  worship. 

Bromley,  Rev.  Henry.  He  began  his  ministry  of  fifty-seven 
years  at  Spring  Hill,  Mansfield.  He  was  particularly  adapted 
to  the  special  work  of  pastor's  assistant.  He  filled  that  office  with 
unusual  fidelity  in  many  churches  in  New  York,  Philadelphia  and 
Brooklyn. 

Gallup,  Mr.  Loren  //.  He  was  for  many  years  a  prominent 
member  of  the  Central  church,  Norwich.  He  held  a  high  position 
in  the  city  as  a  business  man  of  integrity  and  ability.  He  was 
Vice-President  of  the  Convention  for  some  years,  and  one  of  its 
most  trusted  counsellers. 

Bronson,  Mr.  W.  S.  He  was  one  of  the  most  active  and  use- 
ful members  of  the  First  church,  Hartford.  He  served  the  Con- 
vention for  many  years  as  President,  and  was  conspicuously  active 
in  the  interests  of  the  Bible-schools  in  the  state,  being  for  many 
years  Superintendent  of  the  Bible-school  in  his  home  church.  Few 
have  filled  so  large  a  place  in  the  counsels  and  work  of  the  Con- 
vention. 


260  HISTORY  OF  THE 

1897. 

Beebe,  Rev,  D.  F.  Of  North  Colebrook,  a  true  servant  of 
God,  died  in  the  midst  of  his  work,  faithful  to  the  end. 

Chapman,  Rev.  Henry  A.  Pastor  of  Emmanuel  church,  Bridge- 
port. He  was  a  man  of  varied  energies,  and  he  used  all  of  them 
to  the  utmost  in  spite  of  his  physical  infirmities.  His  death  was 
sudden  at  the  last,  yet  his  work,  though  it  might  seem  to  us 
unfinished,  was  done,  and  well  done. 

Fitch,  Rev.  Latham.  For  sixteen  years  pastor  of  the  Second 
New  London  church.  He  was  a  man  of  recognized  piety  and  a 
strong  and  earnest  preacher.  He  loved  the  work  to  which  his 
life  vras  given. 

Putnam,  Rev.  George  L.  Six  years  pastor  at  Woodstock,  and 
formerly  of  Lebanon  and  other  churches  in  the  state.  A  man  able 
to  fill  higher  positions  in  the  ministry,  he  labored  from  preference 
in  the  smaller  churches  in  the  state. 

Miller,  D.D.,  Rev.  D.  Henry.  After  more  than  forty  years 
in  the  ministry  he  had  retired  from  pastoral  work.  He  died  at 
his  home  in  Mystic,  November,  1896.  He  had  baptized  1,700 
converts.  He  was  pastor  in  Third  North  Stonington,  Meriden 
and  Norwich ;  also  in  Lowell,  Trenton,  New  York  City  and 
Brooklyn. 

Griswold,  Mr.  Midian  N.  While  the  1897  Convention  was 
yet  in  session  word  came  of  the  decease  of  this  brother.  He  had 
been  largely  instrumental  in  the  formation  of  the  church  in  Win- 
sted.  He  was  a  man  of  sterling  Christian  character,  held  in  high 
estimation  by  his  fellow-citizens.  He  was  liberal  in  his  gifts  to 
the  church.  The  writer  of  this  brief  tribute  had  an  intimate  and 
endearing  acquaintance  with  him  during  the  year  and  a  half  he 
spent  in  building  up  the  Winsted  church.  Brother  Griswold  left 
all  his  property,  including  his  home,  for  a  parsonage,  to  revert 
to  the  Convention  at  the  death  of  his  widow. 

1898. 

JVatrous,  Rev.  Amos  D.  Died  in  Deep  River,  aged  94.  In 
early  manhood  he  was  a  man  of  great  force  of  character  and  a 
successful  evangelist.  He  is  said  to  have  been  the  means  of  the 
conversion  of  more  than  five  thousand  persons,  and  to  have  him- 
self baptized  over  one  thousand.  Always  eccentric,  during  the 
last  twenty  years  of  his  life  he  became  greatly  unbalanced  in  his 
mind. 

Hodge,  D.D.,  Rev.  James  L.  Died  in  Brooklyn,  New  York, 
at  the  age  of  eighty-four.     He  was  a  native  of  our  state,  and  was 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION      261 

pastor  in  Bridgeport  for  several  years.  He  was  also  pastor  in 
Brooklyn,  Mariners'  church,  New  York  Citj',  and  Albany,  in 
New  York  State,  and  in  Newark,  New  Jersey.  He  was  a  man 
greatly  beloved  and  highly  esteemed. 

1899. 

Bond.  Rev.  E.  P.  Died  at  Suffield,  at  the  age  of  75.  He  was 
born  in  Canterbury,  Connecticut,  September  6,  1824.  Baptized 
at  Tolland  in  1840.  Fitted  for  college  in  Suffield,  and  graduated 
from  Brown  University  in  1851.  Studied  theology  at  Hamilton. 
Pastor  in  New  Britain.  Chaplain  of  Fourteenth  Regiment,  Con- 
necticut Volunteers.  For  five  years  Principal  of  Connecticut  Lit- 
erary Institution.  Pastor  in  Agawam,  Massachusetts;  Professor 
and  Acting  Principal  in  Peddie  Institute,  New  Jersey;  Pastor  at 
Wethersfield,  at  the  same  time  assistant  editor  of  the  Christian- 
Secretary.  His  scholarship  was  wide  in  its  range,  and  accurate  in 
its  results.  He  was  restrained  by  peculiar  modesty  from  a  per- 
sonal aggressiveness  equal  to  his  capacity. 

Cranston,  Rev.  James  S.  Died  September  8,  1899.  He  had 
been  pastor  at  Salem,  Preston  City,  and  Chesham,,  New  Hamp- 
shire. He  was  pastor  of  First  Saybrook  when  attacked  by  the 
disease  that  issued  in  his  death.  He  filled  the  measure  of  his  days 
in  usefulness  and  with  fidelity. 

1900. 

Allen,  Rev.  A.  T.  Born  in  North  Kingston,  Rhode  Island, 
December  28,  1815.  Died  in  Groton,  while  still  pastor  of 
Poquonoc  Bridge  church,  March  29,  1900,  at  the  age  of  84  years 
and  three  months.  For  fift^-eight  years  he  had  been  an  active 
and  faithful  minister  of  Jesus  Christ.  He  served  as  Chaplain  of 
the  Twenty-sixth  Connecticut  Volunteers  in  the  Civil  War.  His 
sympathies  were  very  strong,  and  so  tender  were  his  words  in  the 
house  of  mourning  that  he  was  often  called  on  to  officiate  at 
funerals.  He  is  said  to  have  attended  over  a  thousand  such  ser- 
vices. Almost  all  his  pastoral  work  was  done  in  southeastern  Con- 
necticut.    His  praise  was  in  all  the  churches. 

Robinson,  Rev.  A.  A.  Born  in  Windham,  May  12,  1814. 
Died  in  Packerville,  where  he  was  still  pastor  in  1900,  at  the  age 
of  eighty-six.  He  was  one  of  the  earliest  students  in  Suffield, 
and  was  ordained  in  West  Springfield,  Massachusetts,  in  1848. 
He  served  several  churches  in  that  state,  and  was  also  pastor  in 
First  Suffield,  Mansfield,  Willington,  Winthrop,  and  North  Ash- 
ford.  He  was  called  at  Packerville  when  seventy  years  old,  and 
served  that  church  fourteen  \ears. 


262  HISTORY  OF  THE 

Guy,  Rev.  Albert.  Born  In  Westford,  New  York,  December 
3,  1812.  Died  in  Hartford,  March  6,  1900,  in  his  eighty-eighth 
year.  He  had  been  pastor  over  six  churches  in  the  state  of  New 
York,  and  one  in  Ohio.  He  moved  to  Hartford  in  1886,  and 
was  during  the  years  that  followed  a  useful  and  well-beloved 
member  of  the  First  church,  always  loyal  to  the  pastor  and  rever- 
enced by  the  brethren. 

Goodivin,  Rev.  William.  Born  at  New  Hartford,  January  1, 
1814.  He  was  a  graduate  of  Williams  College  and  of  East  Wind- 
sor Theological  Seminary.  He  was  for  six  years  pastor  of  a 
Congregational  church,  and  then  united  with  the  South  Baptist 
church,  Hartford,  in  1851.  He  was  pastor  of  six  Baptist  chui'ches 
in  this  state,  and  retired  from  active  service  in  1888.  He  was  a 
great  Bible  student,  being  a  much  better  scholar  in  Hebrew  and 
Greek  than  most  of  our  pastors. 

Bennett,  Rev.  Edwin.  Born  in  Canterbury,  May  10,  1829. 
Died  in  Brooklyn,  November  15,  1900.  He  entered  the  ministry 
in  1887,  at  the  age  of  56.  He  was  called  to  the  pastorate  of  the 
Brooklyn  church,  v/here  he  wrought  faithfully  for  thirteen  years. 
A  man  of  limited  education,  but  conscious  of  his  limitations,  he 
became  a  very  conscientious  student.  His  v»'ork  was  owned  and 
blessed  of  God,  and  appreciated  by  the  church.  He  was  a  man 
greatly  beloved  by  his  brethren  in  the  ministry. 

Stillman,  Rev.  Samuel.  Died  in  Easton,  in  the  house  in  which 
his  father  and  his  grandfather  had  been  born,  November  11,  1899, 
in  his  sixty-sixth  year.  He  was  a  graduate  of  Brown  University 
and  Nevv^ton  Theological  Seminary.  He  was  ordained  in  1864. 
and  became  a  missionary  to  the  freedmen  in  the  South.  He  was 
pastor  in  Memphis,  Tennessee,  and  also  in  First  Danbury,  White 
Hills,  Old  Lyme,  and  Winthrop,  in  this  state. 

1901. 

Brooks,  Rev.  Leslie  O.  Born  at  Waterford,  New  York,  1875. 
He  was  baptized  at  the  age  of  thirteen,  in  the  First  church,  Pitts- 
field,  Massachusetts.  He  studied  in  the  Moody  Training  School 
at  Northfield,  Massachusetts,  and  engaged  in  missionary  work  in 
Connecticut  under  the  auspices  of  the  Convention.  He  was  or- 
dained pastor  of  the  Emmanuel  church,  Bridgeport,  in  1897,  and 
served  two  years  and  a  half,  when  he  was  compelled  to  resign  on 
account  of  ill-health.  After  a  brief  period  of  rest  he  accepted  a 
call  to  White  Hills,  but  was  forced  to  give  up  the  work  in  a  few 
months.  He  died  at  his  father's  home  in  Herkimer,  New  York, 
April  10,  1901.  He  was  singularly  devout  and  consecrated,  and 
is  deeply  mourned. 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION      253 

Follu-ell,  Rev.  George  PF .  He  was  pastor  some  3'ears  in  Water- 
bury,  and  attained  eminence  in  the  ministry.  Like  Apollos,  he  was 
"mighty  in  the  Scriptures."  He  died  in  Easton,  Pennsylvania, 
April  3,  1901. 

Denison,  Rev.  Frederick.  He  was  one  of  a  family  of  ministers 
who  have  filled  a  large  place  in  the  Baptist  history  of  our  state. 
He  was  born  in  Stonington,  and  was  ordained  in  1847.  He  was 
pastor  of  Central  church,  Norwich,  Pilgrim  church.  New  Haven, 
and  of  Westerly,  Central  Falls,  Woonsocket  and  Providence, 
Rhode  Island.  He  was  the  author  of  nian\'  books  and  poems.  He 
died  August  16,  1901. 

Battersou,  Mr.  James  Goodwin.  For  many  years  a  prominent 
member  of  the  First  church,  Hartford.  He  will  long  be  remem- 
bered as  the  contractor  and  builder  of  the  State  Capitol  in  Hart- 
ford, which  is  said  to  be  the  only  building  of  its  class  that  has 
been  built  in  this  country  within  the  appropriation,  and  with 
an  unexpended  balance  returned  to  the  state.  He  was  also  a  fine 
classical  scholar.      He  died   in   his  seventy-eighth   year. 

McWhinnie,  Deacon  James.  For  many  years  senior  deacon  of 
the  First  Waterbury  church.  He  was  born  in  Glasgow,  Scotland, 
in  1816.  His  life  was  fully  consecrated  to  the  truest  service  for 
Christ.  He  was  the  father  of  Rev.  James  McWhinnie,  D.D., 
a  man  of  great  gifts  and  sainted  memory.  His  daughter,  Margaret, 
rendered  long  and  valuable  service  at  the  Woman's  Home  Mis- 
sion Rooms  in  Boston.  He  passed  to  his  rest,  October  15,  1901, 
aged  85. 

1902. 

Chapman.  Rev.  Benjamin  F.  Died  in  Andover,  December 
29,  1901,  aged  ninety  years.  He  was  born  in  Griswold  in  1811. 
He  was  married  in  1837  to  Nancy  C.  Peabody  of  North  Stoning- 
ton, and  moved  with  a  colony  of  twenty  families  to  central 
Illinois,  where  they  founded  the  town  of  Stonington.  He  re- 
mained there  for  twenty  years,  and  then  returned  and  became 
pastor  of  the  First  church,  North  Stonington.  He  removed  to 
Andover,  where  he  lived  forty-four  years.  He  was  a  good  man 
and  loved  the  cause  of  Christ.  He  bequeathed  $2,000  to  the 
church  in  Putnam. 

Wilson,  Rev.  Henry  IV.  Pastor  of  the  First  Groton  church. 
He  died  at  Old  Mystic,  June  5,  1902,  at  the  age  of  fifty-three. 
He  was  educated  at  DesMoInes  College  and  Rochester  Theologi- 
cal Seminary  and  served  several  churches  in  other  states.  He 
was  pastor  for  six  years  at  Stratfield,  and  two  and  a  half  years 
in  Groton,  where  he  received  thirty-eight  by  baptism. 


264  HISTORY  OF  THE 

Parry,  D.D.,  Rev.  Francis  John.  Died  suddenly  in  Water- 
bury,  where  he  had  been  pastor  for  five  years.  He  was  born  in 
Philadelphia  in  1847,  and  was  educated  in  Lewisburg  and  Hamil- 
ton. He  was  pastor  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  Cooperstown,  New 
York,  Burlington  and  Brattleboro,  Vermont,  and  New  Y'ork 
City.     His  labors  were  abundant  and  incessant. 

Sage,  D.D.,  Rev.  Adoniram  Judson.  Died  July  7,  1902,  in 
Cincinnati,  Ohio.  He  was  born  in  Massilon,  Ohio,  in  1836. 
He  graduated  from  Rochester  University  and  Theological  Semi- 
nary, and  was  pastor  at  Shelburne  Falls,  Massachusetts,  Phila- 
delphia, Pennsylvania,  and  Morgan  Park,  Illinois.  He  was 
Professor  of  Latin  in  Rochester,  and  of  Homiletics  in  Morgan 
Park.  He  was  pastor  of  the  First  church,  Hartford,  for  thirteen 
years,  1871-1884.  For  three  years  he  was  President  of  the  Con- 
vention. 

True,  D.D.,  Rev.  Benjamin  Osgood.  Died  July  19,  in  Roches- 
ter, New  York.  He  was  twenty-one  years  Professor  of  Church 
History  in  Rochester  Theological  Seminary.  He  was  born  in 
Plainfield,  New  Jersey,  December  17,  1845.  He  graduated  at 
Dartmouth  College,  and  Rochester  Theological  Seminary.  He 
was  pastor  at  Baldwinsville,  New  York,  and  Providence,  Rhode 
Island,  and  for  six  years  at  the  First  church,  Meriden. 

Hiscox,  D.D.,  Rev.  Edivard  T.  He  was  for  five  years  the 
pastor  of  the  Central  church,  Norwich.  He  was  born  in  Wester- 
ly, Rhode  Island,  1814.  His  pastoral  life  was  mostly  spent  in 
New  York  City,  where  he  was  recognized  as  one  of  the  leading 
ministers,  acquiring  a  national  reputation. 

Terry,  Rev.  Thomas.  Died  in  August,  1902,  in  Southwick, 
Massachusetts,  aged  73.  He  had  held  pastorates  in  Brooklyn  and 
East  Lyme  in  this  state. 

Emerson,  Rev.  Forrest  F.  Died  in  New  York,  May  10,  1902, 
aged  62.  He  was  a  graduate  of  Brown  University,  and  studied 
theology  in  Newton  and  Rochester.  He  was  pastor  at  Brock- 
port,  New  York,  at  Gloucester,  Massachusetts,  and  for  six  years, 
1873-1879,  at  Asjdum  Avenue,  Hartford.  He  then  became  a 
Congregational  pastor,  serving  at  Amherst,  Massachusetts,  and 
Newport,  Rhode  Island. 

Manning,  James  W .     See  records  for  1902. 

1903. 

Nichols,  Rev.  Charles  N.  Born  in  Trumbull,  August  15, 
1832.  Ordained  in  New  Hartford,  1862.  He  was  pastor  in 
New  Hartford,  Cromwell,  Old  Lyme,  Colchester  and  Andover. 
He  died  in  Andover,  January  18,  1903,  in  his  seventieth  year. 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION      255 

Love,  Rev.  George  F.  Born  in  England,  August  15,  1830. 
He  came  to  America  in  1850.  His  last  pastorate  was  in  Saybrook, 
from  1899  to  1902.  He  died  at  the  home  of  his  daughter  in 
Littleton,  New  Hampshire,  January  17,   1903. 

Frost,  Rev.  Clarence  C.  Born  in  Maine,  May  6,  1842.  He 
was  pastor  of  First  Norwich,  1879  to  1882.  He  afterwards 
practised  law  and  became  a  prominent  lecturer  on  Temperance. 
He  died  at  Norwich,  February  16,  1903. 

Gallahcr,  D.D.,  Rev.  Henry  M.  Born  in  Ireland,  September 
11,  1833.  He  graduated  from  Shurtliff  College,  where  he  studied 
theologj'.  He  was  pastor  of  the  Calvary  church.  New  Haven; 
in  Quincy,  Illinois;  in  Brooklyn,  New  York;  in  Elizabeth,  New 
Jersey,  and  in  Essex,  Connecticut.  He  served  as  Chaplain  in 
the  army  during  the  Civil  War.  He  was  a  man  of  remarkable 
versatility,  very  eloquent  as  a  preacher  and  lecturer,  and  greatly 
beloved  for  his  genialitv  and  humor.  He  died  in  Essex,  May 
19,   1903. 

Potter,  Rev.  C.  W .  Born  in  Voluntown  in  1821.  He  was  the 
first  person  baptized  b^^  Rev.  Dr.  Palmer.  He  was  ordained 
at  Avon  in  1846,  and  was  pastor  in  North  Haven,  Cromwell, 
Willington,  Bantam,  Stirling,  Stepney,  and  Rowayton.  He  was 
a  wise  counsellor,  an  edifying  preacher,  and  a  large-hearted,  saintly 
man.     He  spent  the  last  years  of  his  life  in  retirement  in  Bantam. 

Whcaton,  Rev.  Archibald.  Pastor  at  South  Norwalk  from 
1889  to  1892,  and  at  Mystic  from  1893  to  1900.  He  went  to 
Jackson,  Michigan,  in  1900,  where  he  seemed  to  be  doing  the  best 
work  of  his  life.  There  he  died,,  December  13,  1902.  He  was 
a  faithful  pastor  and  an  able  preacher,  much  esteemed  by  his 
brethren  in  the  ministr3^ 

Stifler,  D.D.,  Rev.  James  M.  He  was  pastor  for  five  years 
of  the  First  church.  New  Haven.  For  over  twenty  years  he 
did  most  eflicient  service  as  Professor  in  the  Crozer  Theological 
Seminary. 

Phelps,  Mrs.  Sophia  Emilia.  Daughter  of  Rev.  James  H. 
Linsley.  She  was  the  wife  and  widow  of  Rev.  S.  Dryden  Phelps, 
and  a  lady  of  unusual  gifts  and  of  marked  spirituality.  For 
twenty-seven  jears,  besides  being  a  model  pastor's  wife,  she 
taught  a  large  Bible-class,  a  work  for  which  her  intellectuality 
and  knowledge  of  the  Scriptures  peculiarly  fitted  her.  For 
seventeen  years  she  wrote  the  expositions  of  the  Bible  lessons  that 
were  published  in  the  Christian  Secretary.  Even  to  old  age  she 
continued  to  teach  with  great  acceptance  in  the  Calvary  church 
Bible-school,  in  New  Haven.  She  was  emphatically  one  of  the 
"helpers  in  the  Gospel." 


266  HISTORY  OF  THE 

Freeman,  Rev.  Andreiv  L.  Born  April,  1828.  He  graduated 
at  Rochester,  and  was  ordained  at  Camillus,  New  York,  in  1854. 
He  was  pastor  in  Southington  from  1864  to  1873.  He  died 
suddenly  in  Camillus,  where  he  was  for  the  second  time  pastor. 
He  had  preached  the  day  before  his  death. 

Holmatij  Rev.  John  W .  He  was  ordained  in  Voluntown.  He 
also  had  a  pastorate  in  East  Lyme.  His  funeral  was  conducted  by 
his  three  brothers,  all  of  whom  were  Baptist  ministers,  Sullivan 
L.,  William  O.,  and  George  W.  Holman. 

1904. 

Peckkam,  Rev.  Charles  H.  Born  in  Perryville,  Rhode  Island, 
December  16,  1854.  He  was  ordained  March  9,  1897.  He  had 
unusual  evangelistic  gifts.  Employed  by  the  Convention  Board  he 
rendered  fruitful  service  at  Canton  and  other  places  in  1903.  He 
was  pastor  of  the  Bozrah  church,  and  died  July  11,  1904. 

Pattison,  D.D.,  Rev.  Thomas  Hariuood.  Died  February  11, 
1904,  in  Rochester,  New  York,  where  he  had  been  Professor  of 
Homiletics  and  Pastoral  Theology  since  1881.  He  was  born  in 
Cornwall,  England,  December,  1838.  He  w^as  educated  at 
Regent's  Park  College.  After  serving  in  the  ministry  in  England 
he  was  pastor  of  First  church,  New  Haven,  for  four  years,  and 
of  Emmanuel  church,  Albany,  for  two  years.  His  work  as  author 
and  teacher,  as  well  as  preacher,  has  given  him  a  wide  reputation. 
He  was  the  father  of  Rev.  Harold  Pattison  of  the  First  church, 
Hartford. 

Herr.  D.D.,  Rev.  Joseph  D.  Died  suddenly  in  Boston,  Massa- 
chusetts, February  20,  1904.  Born  February  23.  1837.  When 
seventeen  years  old  he  united  with  a  Methodist  church  by  im- 
mersion. He  was  educated  in  Madison  College,  Pennsylvania, 
and  held  several  pastorates  in  the  Methodist  connection  till  1870, 
when  he  joined  the  Baptist  church.  He  was  pastor  in  Pittsburg, 
in  New  York  City,  in  Central  church,  Norwich,  in  Milwaukee, 
and  then  again  in  Central  church,  Norwich.  He  filled  a  large 
place  in  the  work  of  the  Convention  during  his  two  pastorates  in 
Norwich.  The  last  years  of  his  life  he  was  Dean  of  the  Gordon 
Training  School  at  Boston. 

fVayland,  LL.D.,  Hon.  Francis.      See  record  for   1904. 

1905. 

Crocker,  Rev.  Thomas  L.  Born  in  Petersburg,  Virginia,  1858. 
Died  in  New  London,  March  7,  1905.  He  was  licensed  by  the 
Congdon  Street  church.  Providence,  Rhode  Island.  He  was 
ordained  as  pastor  of  a  church  in  Pawtucket,  Rhode  Island.  For 
eleven  years  he  ministered  to  the  Shiloh  church,  New  London. 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION      267 

Sessions,  Rev.  A.  H.  Born  in  Sandisfield,  Massachusetts, 
November  25,  1831.  Died  in  New  York,  February  3,  1905,  at 
the  home  of  his  son-in-law,  Professor  H.  L.  Osgood.  He  was 
licensed  by  the  North  Colebrook  church,  and  educated  at  Hamil- 
ton. He  was  ordained  in  1857  at  Lanesboro,  Massachusetts,  and 
served  forty  years  in  the  ministry,  over  six  churches.  His  last 
pastorate,  of  ten  years,  was  with  the  church  in  Montowesc.  At 
the  time  of  his  death  he  had  spent  eight  years  in  retirement.  He 
was  a  faithful  pastor,  and  a  preacher  of  more  than  ordinary 
ability.     His  life  was  blameless. 

Goodspcrd,  Ph.D.,  Rev.  George  Steplun.  Died  in  Chicago, 
February  17,  1905,  aged  forty-five.  While  pursuing  his  post-grad- 
uate course  in  Yale  he  was  pastor  of  the  Howard  Avenue  Church, 
New  Haven.  He  was  a  son  of  Rev.  Edgar  J.,  and  nephev/  of 
Rev.  Thomas  W.  Goodspeed. 

1906. 

Elsdon,  Rev.  fV.  P.  Born  in  Halifax,  Nova  Scotia,  September 
21,  1841.  Died  in  Highland,  California,  December  31,  1905.  He 
studied  for  the  ministry  at  Fredericton,  New  Brunswick.  His 
pa.storates  were  at  Lynn,  Brewsters,  and  Hyannis,  Massachusetts; 
Belvidere  and  Englewood,  Illinois;  Waterbury  and  Wethersfield, 
Connecticut.  In  1896  his  eyesight  failed,  and  for  a  number  of 
years  he  engaged  in  evangelistic  labor.  He  was  a  man  of  great 
ability,  fearless,  earnest,  forceful  and  tender  in  the  pulpit.  He 
was  held  in  high  esteem  wherever  known. 

Arnesbury,  Mr.  Jabez.  Born  in  Newton,  Massachusetts.  Died 
in  Danbury,  January  2,  1906.  For  fifty  years  he  was  cashier  of 
the  Danbury  National  Bank.  During  his  entire  life  in  Danbury 
he  was  one  of  the  leading  and  most  influential  of  the  members 
of  the  Second  Baptist  church.  He  was  active  in  the  work  of  the 
State   Convention. 

Smith,  Ph.D.,  Martin  Henry.  Born  in  Suffield,  August  5, 
1833.  Died  in  Suflield,  January  31,  1906.  He  studied  in  Suf- 
field  Academy,  and  graduated  from  Williams  College  in  1857. 
He  was  head  of  the  Maysville  Institute,  at  Maysville,  Kentucky, 
for  twenty  years ;  then  Principal  of  the  Suflield  Academy  for  eight 
\ears.  He  was  Judge  of  Probate  in  Suffield  for  several  years, 
anil  was  held  in  honor  for  efficiency  and  faithfulness. 

Lathrnp.  D.D.,  Rev.  Edward.  Born  in  Savannah,  Georgia, 
March  14.  1814.  He  graduated  from  Madison  University  in 
1840.  He  was  pastor  at  Beaufort,  South  Carolina  for  three 
years;  then  at  the  Tabernacle  church.  New  York,  for  twenty- 
two  years,  and  at  Stamford,  Connecticut,  for  twenty  years.     He 


268  HISTORY  OF  THE 

was  a  man  of  noble  presence,  and  as  a  preacher  and  counsellor 
took  rank  among  the  foremost  of  Baptists.  He  died  in  the  city 
of  New  York,  April  5,  1906,  in  his  ninety-second  year. 

Howard,  Hon.  Jotiies  L.     See  record  for  the  year. 

Denison,  Deacon  John  L.  Born  in  Stonington,  September  10, 
1826.  Died  in  Hartford,  July  2,  1906.  He  studied  at  Suffield, 
and  was  always  a  warm  friend  of  that  school.  He  served  as 
Superintendent  of  the  Bible-school  of  the  Central  church,  Nor- 
wich, for  many  years.  In  1855  he  received  the  degree  of  M.  A. 
from  Brown  University.  He  removed  to  Hartford  in  1878  and 
entered  the  employ  of  the  Travelers  Insurance  Company.  For 
many  years  he  was  an  honored  deacon  of  the  Asylum  Avenue 
church.  Constant  in  attendance  upon  the  meetings  of  the  As- 
sociation and  Convention,  he  came  to  be  widely  known  and  loved. 

1907. 

D arrow,  Rev.  George  R.  Born  in  Montville,  September  29, 
1820.  Died  at  Butte,  Montana,  October  16,  1906.  He  was  bap- 
tized in  1841  by  Elder  Jabez  Swan,  into  the  fellowship  of  the 
First  Nevv'  London  church.  He  was  licensed  to  preach  in  Mont- 
ville in  1847,  and  ordained  in  Greenport,  Long  Island,  in  1848. 
He  was  pastor  in  Providence,  Rhode  Island;  West  Boylston, 
Hyde  Park,  and  South  Abington,  Massachusetts;  Camden  and 
Trenton,  New  Jersey,  and  Willimantic,  Connecticut,  He  served 
as  Chaplain  in  the  war  for  the  Union.  The  last  twenty  years 
of  his  life  were  spent  in  the  West. 

Wright,  Rev.  Thomas  G.  Born  in  Westfield,  Massachusetts, 
January  18,  1820.  Died  in  Hartford,  November  11,  1906.  A 
graduate  of  Waterville  College  in  1839,  and  of  Hamilton  Theo- 
logical Seminary  in  1842.  He  was  pastor  at  Lyons,  New  York,  and 
also  of  several  churches  in  New  Hampshire,  Massachusetts,  Rhode 
Island,  New  Jersey,  Pennsylvania  and  Connecticut.  He  was  a 
man  of  transparent  sincerity  and  admirable  simplicity,  and  in 
his  later  3-ears  a  venerable  figure. 

Cordo,  D.D.,  Rev.  Henry  A.  Born  in  New  Brunswick,  New 
Jersey,  in  1836.  Died  at  Gloversville,  Nev/  York,  November 
24,  1906.  He  was  a  graduate  of  Madison  University  and  Hamil- 
ton Theological  Seminary.  He  labored  with  great  acceptance 
In  Meriden,  Connecticut;  Jersey  City,  New  Jersey;  Boston  and 
Whitman,  Massachusetts;  and  Gloversville  and  Cortland,  New 
York.  Dr.  Cordo  was  a  man  of  more  than  ordinary  intellectual 
and  spiritual  strength. 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION      269 

Roberts,  D.D..  Rev.  Ml/liam  S.  Born  in  New  Carlisle,  Ohio, 
April  1,  1845.  Died  in  Noroton,  Connecticut,  December  4,  1906. 
He  held  several  pastorates,  the  last  in  Deep  River,  Connecticut. 
In  all  his  pastorates  he  left  an  impression  of  strong  and  2:entle 
personality.  He  gave  his  life  in  willing  service  to  any  who  needed 
him. 

H'ightman,  Rev.  Painier  G.  Born  in  Groton  in  1820.  Died 
in  Maiden,  Massachusetts,  January  14,  1907.  His  character 
and  work  are  of  more  than  ordinary  significance  to  Connecticut 
Baptists.  He  was  of  the  stock  of  Valentine  Wightman,  the  first 
Baptist  preacher  in  the  state.  He  was  ordained  as  pastor  of  the 
Second  Waterford  church,  September,  1843.  He  served  in  East 
Lyme,  Plainville  and  Branford,  and  in  Tiverton,  Rhode  Island. 
He  was  a  devout  Christian,  mighty  in  praj'er,  an  able  preacher, 
and  a  model  man  in  his  calling. 

Enston,  Rev.  Daniel  C.  Born  in  Nantucket,  Massachusetts,  in 
1844.  Died  in  Chicopee  Falls,  Massachusetts,  January  20,  1907. 
He  graduated  from  Madison  University,  and  held  two  pastorates 
in  this  state,   North  Stonington  and  Fitchville. 

Buell.  Rev.  A.  P.  Died^■n  Cleveland,  Ohio,  March  11,  1907, 
at  the  age  of  88.  He  served  as  pastor  of  the  Huntington  Street 
church.  New  London,  and  of  the  Southington  church.  He  was 
President  of  the  Convention  in  1870. 

Wolf,  Rev.  Henry  Miles.  Born  in  Jersey  Mills,  Pennsylvania, 
June  23,  1852.  Died  in  Bloomfield,  Connecticut,  March  18, 
1907.  He  graduated  from  Bucknell  University  in  1880,  and 
devoted  himself  for  some  years  to  newspaper  work.  He  was 
ordained  to  the  ministry  in  1886,  and  served  as  pastor  in  Water- 
ford  eleven  years,  and  in  Bloomfield  four  years.  He  was  a  man 
of  strong  religious  principle,  and  a  fearless  advocate  of  that  which 
he  regarded  as  truth. 

Siegfried,  M.D.,  Rev.  Thomas  J.  Born  in  Waynesburg, 
Pennsylvania,  December  29,  1850.  Died  in  Salem,  Connecticut, 
April  4,  1907.  He  was  educated  for  the  ministry  at  Denison 
University,  Ohio,  and  was  ordained  in  1871.  For  thirty  years 
he  was  pastor  of  churches  in  New  York,  Pennsylvania,  Ohio  and 
Connecticut,  in  the  last  named  state  at  Salem  and  Scott  Hill. 

Hubbard,  D.D.,  Rev.  Andrew  C.  Born  in  Linsdale,  Ohio, 
January  23,  1839.  Died  in  Danbury,  Connecticut,  April  19, 
1907.  He  graduated  from  Denison  University,  from  which  he 
later  received  the  degree  of  D.D.  He  was  ordained  in  1861, 
and  was  pastor  in  Woodstock,  and  Springfield,  Illinois,  and  also 
in  Cincinnati,  Ohio.     In  1868  he  was  called  to  Second  Danbury, 


i8 


270  HISTORY  OF  THE 

of  which  church  he  remained  pastor  for  thirty-five  years.  The 
church  of  which  he  was  pastor  developed  with  the  growth  of  the 
town.  He  was  a  loving  pastor  and  teacher,  a  staunch  friend,  and 
a  wise  and  kindly  adviser.  It  is  not  too  much  to  say  of  him  that 
he  was  the  leading  citizen  of  Danbury  at  the  time  of  his  death. 

Piddock,  Rev.  Charles  Albert.  Born  in  Lorraine,  New  York, 
July  25,  1849.  Died  in  Hartford,  April  22,  1907.  When  fifteen 
years  old  he  served  in  the  Civil  War,  and  was  wounded  in  the 
Wilderness  campaign.  He  graduated  from  Madison  University 
and  Hamilton  Theological  Seminary  in  1874.  He  was  pastor 
at  Saxton's  River,  Vermont ;  at  Claremont,  New  Hampshire ;  at 
West  Springfield,  Massachusetts,  and  at  Middletown,  Connecti- 
cut, for  six  years.  He  was  for  two  years  Superintendent  of  Mis- 
sions for  the  Convention,  then  editor  of  the  Christian  Secretary 
for  eight  years,  and  again  Superintendent  of  Missions  for  six 
years.  Afterward,  while  engaged  in  business,  he  frequently  sup- 
plied vacant  churches.  Large  in  physique,  genial  and  hopeful 
in  temperament,  approachable,  sympathetic,  ready  to  spend  and 
be  spent  in  any  cause  that  appealed  to  him,  he  left  an  impression 
in  our  state  which  only  the  advance  of  newer  generations  can 
eflEace. 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION      271 


Appendix  B. 
HISTORICAL  RECORD 


Date 

PUce 

President 

Secretary 

Treasurer 

Preacher 

1823 

Hartford 

Asa  Wilcox 

Augustas  Bolles 

J.  B.  Gilbert 

1824 

Middletown 

Asa  Wilcox 

Albert  Day 

J.  B.  Gilbert 

1825 

Hartford 

Jonathan  Goodwin 

Albert  Day 

J.  B.  Gilbert 

1826 

Wallingford 

Jonathan  Goodwin 

Albert  Day 

J.  B.  Gilbert 

J.  M.  Peek 

1827 

Hartford 

Asahel  Morse 

Albert  Day 

J.  B.  Gilbert 

Esek  Brown 

1828 

Middletown 

Jonathan  Goodwin 

Gurdon  Robins 

J.  B.  Gilbert 

B.  M.  HiU 

1829 

Hartford 

Rufus  Babcock 

Gurdon  Robins 

J.  B.  Gilbert 

J.  Cookson 

1830 

Mansfield 

Elisba  Cusbman 

Gurdon  Robins 

J.  B.  Gilbert 

P.  Brockett 

1831 

Meridcn 

Elisha  Cuihman 

AuBTistus   BoUet 

Georje  Read 

G.  Phippin 

1832 

Middletown 

Elisha  Cushman 

Albert  Day 

Jeremiah  Bro%vn 

G.  Robins 

1833 

Lebanon 

Elisha  Cushman 

J.  H.  Linsley 

Jeremiah  Brown 

L.  Kncebnd 

1834 

Hartford 

Elisha  Cushman 

H.  Stanwood 

John  Cookson 

N.  Wildman 

1835 

Middletown 

J.  H.  Linsler 

S.  S.  Mallory 

J.  B.  Gilbert 

R.  H.  Neale 

1856 

Norwich 

J.  Cookson 

Wm.  Palmer 

J.  B.  Gilbert 

S.  H.  Cone 

1837 

Hartford 

J.  Coolcson 

R.  Turnbull 

J.  B.  Gilbert 

J.  Cookson 

1838 

New  London 

J.  Cookson 

B.  Cook 

J.  B.  Gilbert 

B.  Cook 

1839 

New  Haven 

J.  H.  Linsley 

H.  Wooster 

J.  B.  Gilbert 

R.  Turnbull 

1840 

Essex 

Georee  Reed 

Wm.  Reid 

J.  B.  Gilbert 

F.  Withtman 

1841 

Hanford 

D.  Ives 

J.  S.  Eaton 

J.  B.  Gilbert 

R.  Babcock 

1842 

Middletown 

D.  Ives 

J.  S.  Eaton 

J.  B.  Gilbert 

T.  C.  Teasdale 

1843 

Norwich 

D.  Ivea 

E.  Cushman 

J.  B.  Gilbert 

J.  Dowlin? 

1844 

New  HaTcn 

A.  Parker 

E.  Savaie 

W.  Griswold 

D.  Ives 

1845 

New  London 

J.  S.  Swan 

E.  Saraee 

W.  Griswold 

A.  Parker 

1846 

Hartford 

J.  S.  Swan 

E.  Cushman 

W.  Griswold 

A.  G.  Palmer 

1847 

Deep  River 

R.  Tumbull 

E.  Cushman 

W.  Griswold 

J.  S.  Swan 

1848 

Suffield 

D.  Ives 

E.  Cuihman 

W.  Griswold 

E.  Cushman 

1849 

Bristol 

H.  Miller 

E.  Cushman 

W.  Griswold 

E.  T.  Hiscox 

1850 

Danbury 

S.  D.  Phelps 

E.  Cushman 

W.  Griswold 

R.  Turnbull   : 

1851 

Stonington 

E.  T.  Hiscox 

E.  Cuihman 

W.  Griswold 

C.  WiUett 

1852 

New  Haven 

J.  S.  Swan 

E.  Cushman 

W.  Griswold 

J.  N.  Murdock 

1853 

Norwich 

Wm.  Reid 

E.  Cushman 

W.  Griswold 

S.  D.  Phelps 

1854 

Hartford 

J.  N.  Murdock 

E.  Cushman 

W.  Griswold 

H.  Miller 

1855 

Meriden 

L.  Lewis 

E.  Cushman 

\V.  Griswold 

J.  L.  Hodge 

1856 

Middletown 

W.  S.  CUpp 

E.  Cushman 

W.  Griswold 

W.  Reid 

1857 

New  London 

C.  Willett 

E.  Cusbman 

W.  Griswold 

A.  D.  Denison 

1858 

Southinetun 

F.  Denison 

E.  Cushman 

W.  Griawold 

J.  A.  Bailey 

1859 

Hartford 

S.  D.  Phelps 

E.  Cushman 

W.  Griswold 

W.  Fitz 

1860 

New  Haven 

P.  G.  Wiehtman 

E.  Cushman 

W.  Griswold 

J.  P.  Brown 

1X61 

Norwich 

D.  Ires 

E.  Cushman 

W.  Griswold 

D.  H.  Miller 

1862 

Stamford 

J.  P.  Brown 

K.  Cushman 

W.  Griswold 

D.  Ives 

1865 

Willimantii 

C.  S.  Wearer 

E.  Cushman 

W.  Griswold 

C.  B.  Crane 

1864 

Essex 

Geo.  I^ovii 

E.  Cushman 

W.  Griswold 

G.  M.  Stone 

1865 

Danbur)' 

S.  Gravel 

E.  Cusbman 

W.  Griswold 

S.  D.  Phelpg 

1866 

Hartford 

J.  A.  Bailey 

E.  Cushman 

W.  Griswold 

1.  H.  Gllbeft 

272 


HISTORY  OF  THE 


Date 

Place 

President 

Secretary 

Treasurer 

Preacher 

1867 

Mystic  River 

C.  B.  Crane 

E. 

Cushman 

W.  Griswold 

R.  Turnbull 

1868 

New  Haven 

A.  C.  Bronson 

E. 

Cushman 

W.  Griswold 

E.  Lathrop 

1869 

Deep  River 

R.  J.  Adam? 

E. 

Cushman 

W.  Griswold 

B.  S.  Morse 

1870 

New  Britain 

A.  P.  Bucll 

J. 

A.  Bailey 

W.  Griswold 

H.  G.  Mason 

1871 

NorwaUc 

J.  L.  Howard 

J. 

A.  Bailey 

W.  Griswold 

G.  L.  Hunt 

1872 

Waterbury 

J.  L.  Howard 

J. 

A.  Bailey 

W.  Griswold 

A.  G.  Palmer 

1873 

New  Haven 

J.  L.  Howard 

R. 

TumbuU 

W.  Griswold 

A.  J.  Saee 

1874 

Putnam 

J.  L.  Howard 

R 

Tumbull 

W.  Griswold 

C.  E.  Smith 

1875 

Hartford 

J.  L.  Howard 

R 

Turnbull 

W.  Griswold 

A.  C.   Hubbard 

1876 

Suffield 

J.  L.  Howard 

R 

Turnbull 

W.  Griswold 

A.  C.  Hubbard 

1877 

Nonvich 

A.  G.  Palmer 

R 

Turnbull 

James  Lockwood 

F.  F.  Emerson 

1878 

Meriden 

Ed.  Lathrop 

T 

A.  T.  Hanna 

James  Lockwood 

J.  Davies 

1879 

Danbury 

A.  J.  Saje 

T 

A.  T.  Hanna 

James  Lockwood 

E.  F.  Bronson 

1880 

Brideepon 

A.  J.  Sate 

T 

A.  T.  Hanna 

James  Lockwood 

J.  M.  Taylor 

1881 

New  London 

A.  J.  Sace 

T. 

A.  T.  Hanna 

James  Lockwood 

J.  R.  Stubbert 

1882 

Ansonia 

W.  S.  Bronson 

T 

A.  T.  Hanna 

James  Lockw  ood 

G.   H.  Miner 

1883 

New  Haven 

W.  S.  Bronson 

T 

A.  T.  Hanna 

James  Lockwood 

M.  H.  Pogson 

1884 

Norwich 

W   S.  Bronson 

Elizur  Cook 

James  Lockwood 

O.  C.  Sargent 

1885 

Hartford 

W.  ?.  Bronson 

Elizur  Cook 

James  Lockwood 

J.  V.  Garton 

1886 

Waterbury 

F.  Wayland 

P. 

S.  Erans 

W.  F.  Walker 

C.  W.  Holnan 

1887 

New  Britain 

F.  Wayland 

P. 

S.  Evans 

W.  F.  Walker 

3.  W.  Lockhart 

1888 

Hartford 

F.  Wayland 

P. 

S.  Evans 

W.  F.  Walker 

D.  H.  Taylor 

1889 

Putnam 

F.  Wayland 

P. 

S.  Evans 

W.  F.  Walkei 

P.  G.  Wigbtman 

1890 

Middletown 

F.  Wayland 

P. 

S.  Evans 

W.  F.  Walker 

J.  R.  Gow 

1891 

New  Haven 

F.  Wayland 

P. 

S.  Evans 

W.  F.  Walker 

W.  G.  Fer.'iell 

1892 

WilHmaniic 

F.  \\'ayland 

P. 

S.  Evans 

W.  F.  Walker 

J.  S.  James 

1893 

Danbury 

F.  Wayland 

P. 

S.  Evans 

W.  F.  Walker 

H.  M.  Thon.psoir 

1894 

Norwich 

F.  Wayland 

P. 

S.  Evans 

W.  F.  Walker 

J.  is.  Leiram 

1895 

Bridgeport 

F.  Wayland 

P. 

S.  Evans 

W.  K.  Walker 

J.  D.  Herr 

1896 

New  London 

Wm.  A.  Grippin 

P. 

S.  Evans 

W.  F.  Walker 

J.  H.  Mason 

1897 

Hartford 

Wm.  A.  Grippin 

P. 

S.  Evans 

W.  F.  Walker 

W.  D.  McKinney 

1898 

Meriden 

Wm.  A.  Grippin 

P. 

S.  Evans 

W.  F.  Walker 

E.  M.  Potcat 

1899 

Waterbury 

Wm.  A.  Grippin 

P. 

S.  E\ans 

W.  F.' Walker 

Henry  Clarke 

1900 

New  Haven 

Carnot  O.  Spencer 

P. 

S.  Evans 

W.  F.  Walker 

F.  G.  McKeerer 

1901 

New  Britain 

Camot  O.  Spencer 

P. 

S.  Evans 

W.  F.  Walker 

F.  J.  Parry 

1902 

Hartford 

Caniot  O.  Spencer 

P. 

S.  Evans 

W.  F.  Walker 

G.  H.  Fcrri? 

1903 

New  Haven 

Carnot  O.  Spencer 

F. 

H.  Divine 

W.  F.  Walker 

O.  O.  Fletcher 

1904 

Norwich 

Carnot  O.  Spencer 

F. 

H.  Divine 

W.  F.  Walker 

R.  A.  Ashwonh 

1905 

Meriden 

Carnot  0.  Spencer 

F. 

H.  Divine 

W.  F.  Walker 

Harold  Paltison 

1906 

South  Norwalk 

H.  M.  Thompson 

F. 

H.  Divine 

W.  F.  Walker 

P.  C.  Wrifht 

1907 

Putnam 

H.  M.  Thompson 

F. 

H.  DiWne 

C.  E.  Prior 

J.  A.  Elder 

CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVT.NTION      273 


Appendix  C. 

TABLE  OF  THE  CHURCHES  AIDED  BY  THE 
CONVENTION. 

t-ir^t  l.asr 

Year  Year  Anmunt           Total 

New    Haven,     182b  $50 

Goshen,*    1830  1831  26 

Willimantic,    1830  1847  259 

Vernon,*    1831  1834  78 

Ashford  1st.,   1831  1907  1,894 

Anilover,    1831  1907  972 

Windsor  East,* 1831  1845  237 

KilHni,nvorth,*     1831  1838  125 

Tolland,*    1832  1887  1,274 

Woodstock  West.    1832  1903  115 

Marlborough,*     1832  1840  121 

Brooklyn 1832  1882  2,390 

Hampton,*   1833  1842  215 

Ashford   3rd 1833  1849  254 

New  Hartford,*   1833  1905  5,189 

Middletown  2nd.,  1833  1873  1,267 

Avon,*    1834  1847  207 

Wcrhersfield,    1834  1907  1,685 

Voluntown,    1834  1841  112 

Montowese,    1834  1846  208 

Manchester,*    1834  1882  302 

Ashford  2nd 1834  1847  163 

Norfolk,*    1834  25 

Enfield,*    1834  25 

Wilton,*    1833  25 

Sharon,*    1834  1835  50 

Bo/rah,    1835  1875  168 

Hanover,*    1835  37 

Stafford 1835  1853  799 

Lisbon,*   1836  1837  50 

Tariffville 1836  1907  4.345 

Hadlyme,*   1836  1838  62 

*  Disbanded. 


274  HISTORY  OF  THE 


First  Latt 

Year  Year  Amount 

Waterbury  1st., 1836  1847  122 

Colchester,   1837  1841  65 

Northville,    1838  1870  189 

Bridgeport  1st.,  1838  1839  100 

Saybrook  1st.,    1838  1841  35 

Clinton,    1839  1863  663 

New  Britain  1st.,   1839  1843  83 

Norwallc,    1839  1844  220 

Chester,    1839  1868  250 

Bloomfield,    1839  1907  1,570 

Danbury  1st.,*    1839  13 

Branford,   1839  1864  661 


$26,600 


Jewett  City,    1842  1847  $145 

Old  Lyme, 1843  1903  964 

Southington,    1843  1848  120 

Ellington,*   1843  1845  75 

Westfield,*    1844  1845  38 

Cornwall  East,   1845  1907  1,168 

Torrington*  (Old),  1845  1846  30 

Gaylord's  Bridge,*    1845  12 

Pleasant  Valley,*    1845  1846  40 

Windham  South,* 1846  1847  140 

ColHnsville,*    1848  1849  55 

New  Haven  Emmanuel, 1850  1893  $1,195 

Stonington  3rd,  1850  1875  55 

Norwich  3rd,    1850  1894  525 

RockviUe 1851  1898  4,977 

Westford,    1851  1907  979 

Groton  Heights,   1851  1872  350 

N.  Stonington  2nd, 1853  1866  229 

Plainville,    1852  1887  2,980 

Suffield  1st,   1853  1855  100 

Seymour,*   1854  100 

Brookfield,*   1855  1876  218 

Ledvard,     1855  1907  507 

Bantam,    1855  1906  1,177 

Salem  &  Scott's  Hill 1856  1901  986 

South  Woodstock,  1858  1907  650 

*  Disbanded. 


$2,757 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION      275 


Kirit 
Year 

Baltic,*    1858 

Colebrook  River,* 1858 

Newtown,*    1859 

Montville,    1859 

Thompsonville,*    1859 


Cornwall   Hollow 1 860 

South   Colebrook,    1860 

South  Windsor, 1860 

Chesterfield,    1865 

North  Colebrook 1863 

Lake's  Pond.   1867 

Rowayton,    1 867 

Sterling,    1872 

Poquonnock,     1872 

New  Haven,  Grand  Avenue,  ....  1872 

New   Canaan,*    1873 

Bridgeport   2nd,    1874 

Danielson,    1874 

Ansonia,    1874 

Willington,    1874 

Hartford.  Windsor  Avenue, 1874 

Pendleton  Hill.   1874 

Norwich,  Mt.  Calvarv 1873 

East  KiUingly, 1875 

West  Hartford, 1875 

Plantsville,    1876 

Canton,   1877 

Moodus,    1878 

Chestnut  Hill  (?), 1879 

East  Haddam,   1881 

White  Hills,   1882 

Norwich  1st,   1883 

Hartford  Memorial,   1883 

Shelton,    1884 

Willington,    1886 

Spring  Hill, 1885 

*  Disbanded. 


Last 
Year 

Amount 

1883 

1,250 

50 

1882 

230 

25 

50 

1907 

1,150 

1907 

1,122 

25 

1890 

1,050 

1907 

1.163 

1899 

200 

1898 

982 

1906 

2,405 

1906 

2,195 

1882 

3,561 

1898 

1,644 

1885 

4,923 

1882 

2,543 

1881 

12,439 

1883 

354 

1877 

1,285 

1892 

1,271 

1897 

1,185 

1885 

305 

1907 

1,320 

1880 

595 

1907 

556 

1898 

808 

40 

1899 

675 

1907 

931 

1885 

242 

1893 

2,773 

1907 

5,733 

96 

1889 

408 

$16,633 


$5,692 


$37,429 


$10,858 


276  HISTORY  OF  THE 

First  Lajt 

Year            Year  Amount              Total 

Winsted,    1890     1895  6,597 

Bridgeport  Messiah,   1890     1897  1,100 

Torrington 1895      1907  7,910 

Ansonia  2nd,   1893  500 

Naugatuck 1896     1907  633 

New  London  Shiloh,    1896  37 

Warrenville,     1898      1899  97 

Cheshire 1898     1907  272    

$17,146 

Waterbury,  Grace 1902     1907  325 

Danburv    (Colored),    1902     1905  275 

Milford   (Colored),    1903     1907  150 

Harrford    (Colored), 1905  100 

Bridgeport,  East  End,   1907  500    

$1,350 

Foreign  Churches. 

New  Haven  German, 1863     1874  2,250 

Mcriden  German, 1875     1893  959 

New  Britain  Swede 1883     1907  4,416 

Bridgeport  German.!   1886     1907  4,058 

Bridgeport  Swede, 1886     1895  624 

New   Britain    German,    1884     1893  817 

Waterburv  German,   1887      1906  2,561 

New  Haven  Swede 1888     1907  2,300 

New  Haven  Dane,    1888  75 

French   Mission,    1881      1907  4,953 

Seymour  German,   1890     1894  175 

Meriden   Swede,    1890     1894  1,649 

Hartford  Sv,cde 1891      1907  2,306 

Waterburv  Swede,    1894     1907  1,382 

Bridgeport  Bethel  Swede 1907  55    

$28,580 

tin  addition  Rev.  Mr.  Ritzman  collected  from  the  Baptists  of 
the  state  $2,901.72  towards  the  chapel. 

Italian  Missions. 

Stamford 1897     1907  4,371 

New  Haven 1898     1907  4,911 

Bridgeport,  1900     1905  1,414 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION      277 


First  Last 

Year  Year               Amount             'I'otal 

Hartford,    1901  1907       2.185 

New  London,    1904  1907        1,150 

Torrington,    1906  25 

South   Norvvalk,    1907  12 

Waterbury,    1907  360 

Bristol,   1907  30 


$14,458 


Grand  total,    $161,503 

One  hundred  and  thirty-four  churches  in  all ;  of  which  thirty- 
iwo  have  disbanded.  The  nine  Italian  Missions  are  not  included 
in   the  number   given   above. 


278  HISTORY  OF  THE 


Appendix  D. 
PROPORTION  OF  BAPTISTS  TO  POPULATION. 

Bai>titt 
Year  Pupulation  Members  Ratio 

/  1790,  2,220     1  to  107 

^  1800, 251,000  4,663     '  "    "^ 

1810.  261,900  5,149 

1820, 275,248  7,503 

1830, 297,675  9,196 

1840,  309,978  11,021 

1850, 370,792  16,033 

1860,  460,147  18,806 

1870, 537,454  18,843 

1880, 622,700  20,618 

1890, 746,258  22,239 

1900, 908,420  25,111 

Excluding  the  foreign  population,   the   proportion   of   Baptists 
in  1900  was  1  to  26. 

Foreign-born. 

Population 

1880,  129,992 

1890,  183,601 

1900,  238,210 


54 

50 

36 

32 

28 

23 

25 

28 

30 

33^2 

393/^ 

CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION      279 


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INDEX 


INDEX 


Aid    to    churches,    iniportarxe,         .  .  ,  .  .165 

Allen,  Rev.  N.  T.,  record  of  service,       .  .  .  .172 

Sketch, 261 

Amenia,  N.  Y.,  admitted,       ......        24 

Amesbury,  J.,       .......  .      267 

Andover,  admitted,        .......        23 

Andrews,  Rev.  E.,        ......  .      246 

Ansonia,    first    mention,  ......      106 

Progress, 108 

Anti-slavery  resolutions,  .....  37, 46 

Ashford  Association  formed,  .  .  .  .  .  .11 

Ashford,    South    Center,   beginning,  .  .  .  .61 

Asylum  Avenue,  Hartford,  built,     .....      104 

Atkins,  Rev.  I., 250 

Atwater,  Rev.  Mr.,  missionary,  .....  57 
Auxiliary    Society,   organized,  .  .  .  .  .12 

Described    by    Rice,         .  .  .  .  .  .13 

Final  meeting,        .......        15 

Avery,  Rev.  D 247 

Avon,  once  church  at,   .  .  .  .  .  .  .48 

Av.akening,  Great,  effect  on   Baptist  cause,        ...  8 

Results 10 

Bailey,  Rev.  J.  A 106,246 

Baker,  Rev.  A.  E.,  missionary.  ....  209,217 
Ball,   Rev.   H.,  first   Principal   at   Suffield,        ...        36 

Ballard,    Rev.   J 29.252 

Baltic,    abandoned,         .......        80 

New,  admitted,      .  .  .  .  .  .129 

Bantam,    beginning    at,  ......        76 

Baptisms,  average  number.      ......        52 

iiaptist  beliefs,  A.  J.  Sage  on,        .....      125 

Baptists,  condition  in   1800,   .  •  .  .  •  .11 

Proportion   to  population,         .....        82 

Barnes,  W.  O.,  colporteur,      ......      209 

Barrows,    Rev.    S.,         .  .  .  .  .  .  .      21S 

Batchelder,  Rev.  F.  L.,  long  .service  at  Stafford,        .  .        93 


284 


HISTORY  OF  THE 


Batterson,   J.   G., 

Beebe  annuity, 

Beebe,  Rev.  D.  F., 

Beecher,  Rev.  L.  F.,  missionary, 

Benedict,   Rev.  T., 

Bennett,    Rev.    E., 

Bentley,   Rev.  W., 

Bible-schools,  importance, 

Bible  Society,  American  and  Foreign, 

Biddle,  Rev.  W., 

Bloomfield,  improved  condition, 

Remodels  chapel, 
Bolles,  Rev.  A.,   . 

Deacon  J.,    . 
Bond,  Rev.  E.  P., 
Branch,    Rev.    N., 
Bridgeport,  East,  first  mention, 

Purchases  building, 

Admitted,     . 

East    End,    purchases   lot, 

First,  beginnings  of, 

German,    progress, 

House  completed,  . 

Messiah, 

Second,  new  location  and  house 
Brockett,  Rev.   P., 
Bromley,,   Rev.   H., 
Bronson,  Rev.  A.  C,    . 

Rev.  B.  F 

Rev.   E.    H.. 

Rev.   S.,        . 

W.   S.,  .  .  . 

Brooklyn,  progress. 

Church    built. 
Brooks,  Rev.  L.  O.,       . 
Brown,  Rev.  T-  P., 
Buell,  Rev.  A.  P., 
Burleigh,   Rev.   L., 
Burlington,,  once  church  at,   . 
Burnett,    Rev.    J., 
Callen,  Rev.  C.  G., 
Calvary,  New  Haven,  organized, 

Putnam,    abortive, 


:  54,  220, 


263 
205 
260 

43 

253 

262 

241 

;,  233 

41 
24^ 

77 

03 
247 
245 
261 
243 
105 
lOS 
109 
230 

45 
147 
152 
166 
194 
244 
259 
251 
257 
121 
249 
136,  137,259 

82 
104 
262 

S4 
269 
251 

53 
255 
258 
101 
148 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION      285 


Canton,  redivivus, 
Chaplin,  Rev.  J., 
Chapman,   Rev.   B. 

Rev.   D.   F., 

Rev.    H.   A., 
Cheeseborough,  Rev.  E., 
Cheshire,  work  started. 

Abortive, 
Chesterfield,  admitted, 

Chivers,  Rev.  E.  E.,  address  and  tribute, 
Christian  Commission,  use  in  Civil  War, 
Christian  Secretary,  first  efforts. 

Adopted  by  Convention, 

Crisis, 

Status  debated. 

Organ  of  Convention, 

Purchased  by  Dr.  Phelps, 

Purchased  by  C.  A.  Piddock, 
Civil  War,   sentiment   during. 

Divergent  views,   . 
Coats,  Rev.  A.  B.,  missionary. 

Address  on  evangelism,  . 

Superintendent, 
Colebrook,    South,    admitted, 
Colgate,  Deacon  William,  speaks  for  Bible  Society, 
Collinsville,  efforts  at,  . 
Colored  churches,  first  aid. 

Difficulties,  . 
Cone,  Rev.  S.  H.,  presents  Bible  Society, 
Connecticut  Literary  Institution,  tuition  charges. 
Convention,  Connecticut  Baptist,  first  steps, 

First  business  meeting,   . 

First    anniversary. 

Change  of  name  proposed. 
Cook,  Rev.  B.,     , 

Elizur,  statistical  secretary, 

Secretary, 
Cooperative    evangelism, 
Cordo,  Rev.  H.  A.,       ... 
Cornwall,  admitted, 
Cranston,  Rev.  J.  S.,     . 
Crescent  Beach  enterprise,     . 
Crocker,  Rev.  T.  L.,   . 


199 

253 
263 
257 
260 
245 
124 
163 
23 
234 
91 
14 
20 
21,22 
23 
100 
114 
143 
84 
87 
218 
219 
225 
65 
44 
59 
65 
151 
41 
39 
15 
20 
21 
198 
241 
133 
136 
134 
268 
24 
261 
131,179 
.  266 


iq 


286 


HISTORY  OF  THE 


Crofut,  A.  J.,       . 

Curtis,  Rev.  C,  missionary,   . 

Cushman,  Rev.  Elisha,  issues  circul 

On   first   committee, 

President, 

Secretary, 

Close  of  service,    . 

Tribute, 
Danbury  Association   formed. 

First  state   mission   work, 
Danielson,  first  mention. 

Progress, 

Admitted,     . 

Self-supporting, 
Darrow^,   Rev.   A., 

Rev.  F., 

Rev.   G.   R., 
Date  of  anniversary,  changed  to  Octobe 
Davies,    Rev.    J., 
Davis,  Rev.  G.  F.,  death. 
Declension  in  early  New  England 

Denison,  Rev.  A.  E., 

Rev.  F.,        . 

Deacon  J.  L., 

Rev.  William,  missionary. 

Manual  work. 

Sketch, 
Dennison,  Rev.  E., 
Dimock,  J.  W.,   tribute, 
Disaster,   history. 

Reviewed  by  Stubbert,    . 

By  Thompson, 

Statement,     . 
Divine,  Rev.  F.  H.,  Superintendent 

Defines  views. 

Faithful  work. 

Services  coveted  elsewhere. 
Domestic  missions,  name  embarrassing 
Doty,  E.,  missionary,    . 
Dowling,   Rev.   J., 

Rev.  T.,       . 
Dunham,   Eber,  legacy, 
Easton,  Rev.  D.  C, 


CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION       287 


Education  Society,  date  of  organization,   . 
Ellis,   Rev.   H.,  '..... 

Elsdon,  Rev.  W.  P 

Emerson,  Rev.  F.  F.,   . 

Emmanuel,  New  Haven,  purchases  building. 

Evangelism,   prominent  in    Divine's  period, 

Reports   on,  .... 

Evans,  Rev.  P.  S.,  Secretary  and  Superintendent, 

Historian, 
Fairfield    Association    formed, 
Fair  Haven,  beginning  at, 
Permanent  start,    . 
Begins  to  build, 
Self-supporting, 
Fennell,  Rev.  W.  G.,  ordained. 
Finances,  improvement  in, 
Perplexing, 
(See  Disaster.) 
Fish,    Rev.    E.    P., 
Fitch,  Rev.  L.,    . 
Fitchville,  organized,     . 
Flanders,  Rev.  C.  K.,  missionary, 
Fletcher,    Rev.    J., 
Follwell,   Rev.   G.  W., 
Foreigners,  first  mention. 
Foreign  Missions,  Jubilee, 
Foreign-speaking  churches, 
Foster,  Rev.  N.  P., 
Francis,  Alfred,   bequest, 
Freedmen,  care  of, 
Freeman,  Rev.  A.  L.,   . 
French  immigrants,  first  solicitude  for, 

First    work   among, 
French,  missionary  among, 
Frost,  Rev.  C.  G., 
Gage,  Rev.  L.,     . 
Gale,  Rev.  S., 
Gallaher,  Rev.   H.   M. 
Gallup,  L.  A.,     . 
Garner,  Rev.  W.  V., 
Gates,  Rev.  A.,   . 
Rev.  O.  W., 
Gaylord's  Bridge,  admitted, 


.        30 

.     253 

.     267 

.     264 

.      129 

.     201 

206,219 

.      139 

.     221 

11,40 

64,67 

102 

108 

129 

142 

153 

207 

242 
260 
140 
218 
250 
263 

49 

90 
200 
248 
156 

89 
266 

96 
126 
65.  178,  180 
265 
250 
258 
265 
259 
257 
247 
256 

67 


288 


HISTORY  OF  THE 


Germans,  first  aid  to,   . 

.       80 

Characterized,        ..... 

.      159 

Gifts  to  churches,  policy,        .... 

62,67 

Gilbert,  Rev.  I.  H., 

.     255 

Deacon  J.   B.,  Treasurer, 

.       37 

Career,          ...... 

55,  242 

Glazier,  J.,  missionary,          .... 

29,  30 

GofiF,  Rev.  M.  J.,      ' 

.     247 

Goodspeed,  Rev.  S.,       . 

.     267 

Goodwin,  Rev.  W.,       ..... 

.     262 

Gorham,  Rev.  G.  W.,  ..... 

.     247 

Grand  Avenue,  New  Haven.      (See  Fair  Haven.) 

Graves,  Rev.  S.,  . 

.     259 

Gregory,  Rev.  A.,         . 

.     252 

Grippen,  W.  A.,  president,     .... 

.     172 

Griswold,   M.   N., 

175,260 

Deacon  Wareham,   Treasurer, 

.      55 

Tribute,        ...... 

.     Ill 

Groton,  scene  of  earliest  missionary  work, 

5 

Church  established,          .... 

6 

House    built,         ..... 

.     104 

Grow,  Rev.  J.,   . 

.     243 

Guy,  Rev.  A., 

.     262 

Haddam,  East,  admitted,        .... 

.       23 

Hadlyme,    improvement,         .... 

.       77 

Half-way  Covenant,     ..... 

9 

Hall   legacy,    Mansfield,        .... 

.     205 

Hampton,  once  church  at,       . 

.       48 

Hanna,  Rev.  T.  A.  T.,  Superintendent,     . 

.     118 

Abundant  labor,    ..... 

128,  131 

Tribute,        ...... 

.     135 

Hart,  Rev.  L.  P., 

.     250 

Hartford  Association   formed. 

.       11 

Hartford,  First,  part  in  Convention, 

.     192 

Hartford,  Third,  admitted,   .... 

.    roi 

Hastings,  Joseph,  becomes  Baptist,  . 

.       10 

Herr,  Rev.  J.  D., 

.     266 

Hicks,  Rev.  B., 

.     253 

Higby,  Rev.  S.,  missionary,     .... 

.       38 

Hill,  Rev.  B., 

.     250 

Hiscox,  Rev.  E.  T.,       ..... 

.     264 

Hodge,  Rev.  J.  L., 

.     260 

CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION      289 


Holman,  Rev.  J.  W., 

.      246 

Rev.  John  W., 

.     26b 

Home  Mission  Societjs  steps  toward  cooperation, 

.       32 

Cooperation  delayed,       .... 

.       34 

Economy,      ...... 

.       38 

Relation,       ...... 

.     171 

Hope  Church,  New  Haven,  reunited  to  First,     . 

.     194 

Hopper,  Rev.  B.  M 

.     255 

Howard,  Rev.  A.,        ..... 

.     253 

Hon.  J.  L.,  President,   .... 

.     102 

Last   address,         ..... 

.     112 

Close  of  service,    ..... 

.     114 

Tribute,        ...... 

.     214 

Howard  Avenue,  New  Haven,  organized. 

.     156 

Hoyt,  Hon.  J.   B.,  gifts,        .... 

110,119 

Tribute,        ...... 

.     149 

Hubbard,  Rev.  A.  G., 

.     269 

Huntington,   Hezekiah,  bookstore   recommended, 

22 

Huntington  Street,  New  London,  admitted, 

".       b5 

Illsley,    Rev.    S., 

.     253 

Immanuel,  Bridgeport,  started, 

.     151 

New   Haven,  history,      .... 

65 

Enlarges  house,      ..... 

.     194 

Immigration,    early   mention,           .           .          .          . 

.       60 

Ingathering,  years  of,   . 

.       52 

Italians,  missions  to,  advocated,       .           .      •     . 

.     162 

Importance,            ..... 

.     168 

Mission  begun,      ..... 

.     171 

Chapel  for,  in  New  Haven,     . 

.     190 

Interests  in  Bridgeport  betrayed, 

.     193 

Vicissitudes    in    Stamford, 

.     200 

Good  work   in   Hartford, 

.     200 

Progress,       ...... 

.     208 

Ives,  Rev.  D.,     ...... 

.     248 

Jackson,   Rev.    H.,        . 

.     243 

Jencks,  E.  M.,  ordained  by  Convention,  . 

.       59 

Jennings,  Rev.  R.,  gifts,        .... 

.     105 

Help  acknowledged,        .... 

.     110 

Sketch, 

.     254 

Jerome,  Rev.  E.  M.,     ..... 

.     256 

Jewelry,   sentiment   regarding. 

32,52 

Johnson,  Rev.  W.  H.,  evangelist,   . 

.     167 

Joy,   Rev.   F.    B 

.     254 

290 


HISTORY  OF  THE 


lubilee   Fund,      .... 

109,110 

Judd,  Rev.  T.  O..        . 

.     253 

Judson,  Adoniram,  completes  translation 

of  Bib 

ie. 

.       38 

July  Fourth,   as  religious   day, 

19,45 

Keeney,    Rev.    C,         . 

.     251 

Ketchum,  Rev.  F.,        . 

.     251 

Kincaid,  Rev.  Eugenio,  visits  churches, 

56 

Knapp,  Rev.  H.  R.,      . 

.     24^ 

Kneeland,   Rev.  L.,  missionary, 

24,  29 

Knowlton,  Rev.  F.,       . 

.     250 

Lathrop,   Rev.   E.,         . 

.     2b7 

Leach,  Rev.  B.  N.,       . 

.     245 

Ledyard,   discouragement,   and   fruit. 

.     123 

Leffingwell,  Rev.  C,    . 

.     246 

Lewes,    Rev.    L.,           .           .           . 

.     242 

Lewis,  Rev.  G.  C, 

.     244 

Liberia,       ..... 

.       37 

Life  insurance,  ministers,'  attempted. 

.       40 

Lincoln,  Rev.  B.  H.,     . 

.     243 

President,    resolution   regarding. 

92,  93 

Linsley,  Rev.  J.  H., 

.     241 

Lisbon,    admitted. 

23 

Litchfield  Association,  drops  out,    . 

.     105 

Litchfield,  once  church  at. 

.       53 

Loans  to  churches. 

.     164 

Lockwood,  J.,    treasurer. 

.     Ill 

Tribute,         .... 

i: 

58,  145 

Love,  Rev.  G.   F., 

265 

Lovell,  Rev.  A.  S.,       . 

.     257 

Lyon,  Rev.  D.  D.,       . 

25Q 

Maine,  Rev.  R.  H.,       . 

253 

Mallory,    Rev.    S.,         . 

242 

Manchester,   admitted. 

23 

Manning,  Hon.  J.  W.,  tribute. 

19b 

Mansfield,  early  revival  in,   . 

10 

Map  of  state,    Baptist, 

161 

Martin,  Rev.  O.,          .           .           . 

251 

Matthewson,  Rev.  P.,  . 

254 

Mattison,  Rev.  N.   H.,          .          .          . 

254 

McGonegal,  Rev.  R.,   . 

258 

McWhinnie,   Deacon  J.,        . 

263 

Meech,    Rev.   L.,          .          .          .          . 

246 

Meeting-house   stock,    .           .           .           . 

58 

CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION       291 


Memorial,   Hartford,  organized, 

History,         .... 
Meriden,  beginning  among  Germans, 

First,    history, 

German,    admitted, 

West,  organized,   . 

Admitted,      . 
Miller,  Rev.  D.  H.,     . 

Rev.    E.    C, 

Rev.  H.,       . 

Rev.   S.,  death  mentioned. 

Rev.  W.  G., 
Miner,  Rev.  N.  W.,     . 
Ministerial  education,  early  feeling  toward, 
Ministers'  Conference,  organized,    . 
Ministers'    Home, 
Mission  churches,  fruitfulness  of,    . 
Missionary  organizations,  suggestions, 
Missouri    Compromise,    repeal. 
Montville,    builds   new   house,, 
Morehouse,  Rev.  J.  L.,  first  visit,   . 
Morgan,  Capt.  E.,  gifts, 

Sketch,  .... 

Rev.  W.  D., 
Morse,  Rev.  Asahel,  author  of  free  law 
Morse  legacy,      .... 
Mourning,  protest  against, 
Munger,  Rev.  W., 
Murdoch,  Rev.  J.  N.,  first  mentioned. 
Neale,  Rev.  R.  H.,  mentioned. 
Nelson,  Rev.  S.,  missionary, 
New  Canaan,  church  built, 

Checkered    history. 
New   Hartford.,  church  at. 

Ending, 
New  Haven  Association  formed 
New  Haven,  Germans  aided  to  pa\-  for  buildin 

Hope  church  united  to  First, 

Swede  church. 
New  London  Association  formed. 
New  London  County  Missionary  Society 
New  London,  First,  organized. 

Improves  edifice,    . 


10.  120 


lU 

144 

0<S 

176 

109 

83 

83 

260 

255 

242 

29 

241 

257 

28 

130 

130 

155 

217 

74 

93 

128 

130 

255 

249 

7 

53 

28 

24b 

68 

36 

36 

104 

216 

53 

218 

11 

99 

194 

167 

11 

54 

7 

194 


292 


HISTORY  OF  THE 


Newton,  Lucinda,  legacy, 

.      124 

Newtown,  aided  to  build, 

.       67 

Nichols,  Rev.  C.  N.,     . 

.     264 

Nicholson,  Rev.  G.  W.,  practical  suggestions. 

.     195 

Norwalk,   South,  admitted,    . 

85 

Offerings,  plan  for  taking,   adopted, 

.       55 

Olive  Branch  church,  a  misnomer,  . 

71 

Olivet,  New  Haven,  origin,  . 

.     156 

Organizations  in  churches,     . 

217 

Paine,  Rev.  J.,    . 

244 

Palmer,   Rev.   A.    D.,    tribute. 

156 

Sketch, 

256 

Parry,  Rev.  F.  J. 

264 

Pattison,  Rev.  H.,  address,    . 

191 

Interesting   report   on    missions, 

211 

Rev.  T.  H., 

266 

Peace  Society,  sympathy  with, 

.       42 

Peckham,  Rev.  C.  H.,  . 

.     266 

Rev.  P 

246 

Rev.  S 

244 

Pendleton,  Rev.  G.  W.,        . 

253 

Perkins,  Rev.  S.,  . 

254 

Permanent  Fund,  begun. 

186 

Compared,    ..... 

202 

Additions,     ..... 

205 

Perry,  James,  legacy,    .... 

124 

Phelps,  Rev.  S.  D.,  reminiscence,   . 

168 

Sketch 

259 

Mrs.  S.  E 

265 

Piddock,  Rev.  C.  A.,  Superintendent, 

139 

Relieved,       ..... 

143 

Reappointed,           .... 

173 

Resigns,        ...... 

193 

Tribute,        ...... 

143 

Sketch, 

270 

Plant,  A.  P., 

247 

Plantsville,  struggles,    .           .           .           .           . 

116 

Population,   foreign,   in    1840,    1860, 

49 

Porter,  David  G.,  bequests,   . 

207 

Potter,  Rev.  C.  W., 

265 

E.  W.,  ordained,   .           . 

142 

Giles,  thorough  report  on  Bible-schools,     . 

210 

W.  H.,  Statistical  Secretary,   . 

95 

Sketch 

253 

CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION       29.5 


Presidents,  extended  terms  a  benefit, 
Prior,  C.   E.,  Treasurer, 
Publication  Society,  first  cooperation, 
Purinton,   Rev.   L.  M., 
Putnam,  beginning  at,  . 

Items  of  history,   . 

Rev.   G.   L.,  .  .  . 

Rainbow,    church    started    in, 
Rand,  Rev.  T.,  missionary, 
Ranney,  printer  of  Judson  Bible,    . 
Rawson,  Rev.  O.  B.,     . 
Raymond,  Rev.  E.  S.,  . 
Read,  Deacon  G., 

Red  Cross  Society,  usefulness  in  Civil  W 
Redding,  once  church  at, 
Reid,   Rev.   William,    . 
Restoration  Fund,  struggle  and  victory. 
Revival  year,        .... 
Rice,  Rev.  L..  account  of  Auxiliarv  Societv 
Rising,  Rev.  M.  H.,    . 
Robbins,    Rev.   A., 
Roberts,  Rev.  W.  S.,   . 
Robins,  Rev.  G.,  editor  of  Secretary, 

Sketch, 
Robinson,  Rev.  A.  A.,  . 
Rockville,   early  efforts. 

Sells  house.  .... 

New  start,    .... 
Roxbury,  once  church  at. 
Sage,  Rev.  A.  J..  .  .  . 

Sanitary  Commission,   usefulness  in   Civil   War 
Savage,  Rev.  E.,  . 
Saybrook,   First,   admitted. 
Separatists,  .... 

Sessions,  Rev.  A.  H.,    . 
Seventy-five  years'  figures. 
Seventy  years'   simimary, 
Sevmour,  earlv  efforts  at. 
Shailer,  Rev.  D.  T.,       .  .  . 

Rev.    N.    T.,    missionary. 

Tribute,        .... 

Reappointment, 

Close  of  service,    . 


185 
227 
104 
255 
60 

260 

102 

24 

38 

252 

2+9 

243 

91 

48 

257 

228 

79 

13 

249 

246 

269 

24 

244 

261 

t)7 

75 

129 

53 

264 

91 

243 

10 
267 
178 
162 

61 
252 

3.^ 

76,96 

97,98 

101 


294 


HISTORY  OF  THE 


Still    active,             ..... 

.      103 

Sketch, 

.     249 

Rev.   S 

.     244 

Sharon,  admitted,          ..... 

.       24 

Shelton,  new  beginning,         .... 

.      129 

Admitted, 

.      129 

Siegfried,  Rev.  T.  J..   . 

.     269 

Skinner,  Rev.   E.,          .           .           .           .           . 

.     241 

Smith,   Mrs.    Hannah,   first   anniiitv. 

35 

Rev.  H.  G.,           ..... 

.     257 

M.    H., 

.     267 

Rev.   W.   S 

242 

Social  Union,   organized,        .... 

'.     103 

Efficiency.     ...... 

.      107 

Service,          .           .           .           . 

.     236 

Memorable  meeting,        .... 

.     236 

Southington,  admitted.             .... 

23 

Spain,   war   with,           ..... 

.     177 

Spencer,  C.  O.,  President,       .... 

.     18o 

Impressive   address,          .... 

.     187 

Last   address,          ..... 

.     213 

Tribute,        ...... 

.     215 

Standing  Order,            ..... 

5 

Staples,  Rev.  W.  W., 

.     250 

Steward,   Rev.   I., 

.     245 

Stewardship,   Christian,  suggestions. 

.     231 

Stifler,  Rev.  J.  M 

.     265 

Stillman,  Rev.  S.,          .           .           .           .           . 

.     262 

Stirling,   resuscitated,    ..... 

.       83 

Stone,  Rev.  E.  W.,  words  of  welcome. 

.     198 

Stone,  Rev.  G.,   ...... 

.     245 

Stonington  Association  formed. 

11 

Stonington,  Third,  history,    .... 

65 

Strong,  Rev.  J.   H.,  report  on  state  of  churches. 

.      180 

Student    supplies,           ...... 

.     165 

Suffield  Academy,   opens,         .... 

36 

Building   begun,    ...... 

33,35 

Suffield  Street,  Hartford,  chapel  built, 

.     102 

Sunday-school  work,  committee  on. 

.     108 

Reports, 110,  1 

13.  116,  119 

Resume  of  work,   ...... 

.      121 

Swan,  Rev.   J.  S.,  missionarv, 

83,  86,  89 

Sketch,  '       .          .         ' 

.     251 

CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION       295 


Swedes,  first  work  among, 

Claim   on    us, 

Characterized, 

Work  among. 

Bethel  church,    Bridgeport^  organized, 

Hartford,   build   a  church, 

New   Britain,  remarkable   work, 
Switzerland,   Christians   in,    . 
Tariffville,  interest  begun, 

Struggles,      ... 

Progress,       ... 

Set  back, 
Taylor,  Rev.  D.  H.,     . 
Tefft,  Rev.  A.   B., 
Temperance,  reformation. 

Resolutions  on,, 

Surprising   condition, 
Terrjs  Rev.  T.,  . 
Thompson,    Rev.    H.    M.,    address 

President,      ... 

Brave    words, 
Thompsonville,  once  church  at, 
Tilden,   Rev.    C,   missionary, 

Sketch, 
TiUinghast,  Rev.  J.  A., 
Tolland,  close  of  work. 

Final  wind-up, 
Torrington,  old  church. 

Open    door, 

New   church. 

Chapel    built. 
Tract  Society,  predecessor  of  Publication  Society, 
Treasurer,  suggestion   to  bond, 
True,   Rev.  B.  O., 
Turnbull,  Rev.  R.,  officer. 

Superintendent, 

Close  of  service,    . 

Tribute, 
Union   Association, 
Unreported   gifts, 
Vernon,   admitted, 
Vinton,   Rev.  J.  A.,  godspeed, 

Tribute, 


131 

147 

158 

20S 

230 

185 

204 

29 

34 
—  -> 
/.•) 

77,  S2 

94 

255 

252 

53 

i3,  46 

93 

261 

18S 

221 

224 

80 

38 

246 

243 

148 

21S 

53 

168 

170 

174 

30 

209 

264 

44 

106 

1!4 

117 

40 

155 

23 

68 

79 


296 


HISTORY  OF  THE 


Wade,  Dr.,  of  Burma,  preaches,       .... 

.35 

Wakeman,  Rev.  L.   H.,         ..... 

254 

Walker,  Rev.  George  Leon,  describes  early  religious  life, 

8 

Rev.  L., 

245 

Rev.  O.  T 

259 

Rev.   W.    C,   missionary,        .... 

102 

Sunday-school  work,        ..... 

121 

Tribute,        ....... 

141 

Warren,  Rev.  J.,          .....          . 

245 

Washington  Avenue,  Hartford,  built. 

104 

Struggles,      ....... 

115 

Watch,  contributed  to  Convention, 

52 

Waterford,  scene  of  earliest  missionary  work,     . 

5 

First   church    organized,          .... 

7 

Watrous,    Rev.    A.    D.,    missionary. 

56 

Sketch 

260 

Rev.  E.  H., 

257 

Wayland,  Hon.  F.,   President,        .... 

136 

Close  of  service,    ...... 

172 

Tribute,        .           . 

203 

Weaver,  Rev.  C.  S.,     . 

256 

Webb,  Rev.  G.  S., 

252 

West  Hartford,  beginnings,   ..... 

80 

Westcott  Fund,  ....... 

205 

Wethersfield,  improved  condition,   .... 

77 

Begins  to  build,     ...... 

113 

Wheaton,  Rev.  A., 

265 

Whitefield,  labors  in  New  England, 

9 

Whiting,  Rev.   N 

241 

Rev.  S.  M.,  service,        ..... 

118 

Sketch, 

248 

Wightman,  family,        ...... 

6,7 

Rev.  F., 

242 

Rev.  P.  G., 

269 

Valentine,     ....... 

6 

Wilcox,  Rev.  A.,   first  preacher  and  moderator, 

!6 

Wildman,  Rev.  N.,  missionarv,        .... 

51 

Sketch,          ....... 

243 

Willard,  Rev.  B.,  missionarv,          .... 

36 

Willett,  Rev.  C,         .         ' 

252 

Willimantic,  struggles   in   building. 

30 

Aided  years,           ...... 

50 

Debt-paying,           ...... 

53 

CONNECTICUT  BAPTIST  CONVENTION      297 


Wilson,  Rev.  H.  W.,  . 

263 

Winsted,   first  mention, 

123 

Beginning,    .... 

146 

House  completed,  . 

152 

Chapel  enlarged,   , 

194 

Wolf,  Rev.  H.  M.,       .          .          - 

269 

Women's  Foreign  Missionary  Society, 

104 

Wood  legacy,  providential  delay,     . 

216 

Woodstock,  South,  improvement,    . 

77 

Wright,  Rev.  D.,         .          .          . 

250 

Rev.  T.  G., 

268 

Wyman,  Rev.  D.  T.,  evangelist, 

.     164 

Yalesville,  beginning  among  Germans, 

98 

Young  Men's  Christian  Association, 

91 

Young  people,   work  of, 

.        156,  159 

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